Following The Online Drama Of Random People You’ve Never Met In Person Is An Underrated Sign Of High Intelligence

There are two types of people in the world. The first group rolls their eyes at social media-fueled drama that everyone seems to be obsessed with for some unknown reason. The second kind of person is, of course, the one who follows the drama as if it’s affecting them personally.

It’s easy to complain about drama and act like you think it’s ridiculous, but sometimes you just can’t pull yourself away from it. The anger caused by drama actually releases dopamine in our brains, so it makes sense that we feel like we can’t get enough of it. It turns out all those hours spent stalking people on Instagram could actually be a sign of high intelligence, though.

Research has proven that there is a direct link between curiosity and intelligence.

Feeling like you can’t stay out of random strangers’ business might not be such a bad thing, according to a 2025 study published in the European Journal of Personality. Scientists conducted an experiment to compare those who were intellectually curious, or interested in a lot of different things, with those who were interested in a specific subject.

They used an article on the Panama Canal for the study, which isn’t quite as juicy as your high school friend’s brother’s relationship status, but served their purposes nonetheless. The article contained several hyperlinks that provided more information.

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Although the participants’ actions differed slightly based on whether they were specifically interested in the topic, they all sought to learn more. A follow-up experiment also showed that both groups scored higher on a quiz about the information.

A 2022 study published in the Journal of Individual Differences had similar results. In this study, researchers examined the connection between epistemic curiosity, general knowledge, and fluid intelligence. They found that people with greater curiosity also had greater knowledge, probably because they felt more motivated to learn.

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This isn’t all that different from the way some people analyze reality TV.

The Kardashians don’t feel like they fit into the category of “random people” quite as well as the person Facebook suggests you send a friend request to, but it’s a similar principle. They’re still people you don’t know, but whose drama feels all-consuming.

Jenny Grant Rankin, PhD, is a member of Mensa, meaning she has an IQ that ranks in the top 2%, and she feels like one of her favorite shows, “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” engages her top-notch mind. She argued that the show can bring up some pretty existential questions about the haves versus the have-nots and what’s expected of women.

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Sociology professor Danielle J. Lindemann, who instructs her students to study specific episodes of reality shows, shared similar thoughts. “I see reality TV as a kind of fun-house mirror, because it can show us ourselves in caricatured or amplified form,” she said.

“The genre reveals some of the worst things about society — sexism, racism, classism, materialism — and dials them up to 11,” Lindemann continued. “But it also shows us the best of ourselves in its creativity.”

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So, you shouldn’t let anyone make you feel bad about keeping up with all the latest drama.

Society tends to frown upon getting sucked into strangers’ business online. It certainly is possible to take your interest in drama too far and need to spend some time away from your phone, but following online drama isn’t a bad thing in general.

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Instead, your curiosity about these things means that you likely have a higher level of intelligence, partially because you do the work to gain more knowledge. And all of that interesting drama may even lead you to ponder some pretty deep topics you wouldn’t usually think about.

If watching that 12-part TikTok series about the conflict between a mom and her daughter’s new step-mom is making you feel like you’re losing control or becoming overly negative, it’s probably time to take a break. Those are warning signs that you’re a little too obsessed. Otherwise, feel free to scroll on.

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Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.