When someone spreads a rumor, they get a reaction from 3 or 4 people. The fun is to see how far it goes. With an app, they get a reaction from many more.
It's nice to say "ignore it" and when it's 3 or 4 people they can actually do that, but with an app you're talking about the will power of many more people. Much harder to self control.
I would actually think that when it flares like in the story, and everyone is saying outrageous things about everyone else, it would become easier to laugh it off. Everyone would know that it was all bullshit because they were all in on writing it themselves.
It's nice to say "ignore it" and when it's 3 or 4 people they can actually do that, but with an app you're talking about the will power of many more people. Much harder to self control.