By Avery Walker

What is the first thing you do before making a purchase? If you are like me, you check the reviews. These days, you would be hard pressed to find any service or product that does not have a rating system attached to it. Going out to eat? Hundreds of people have already scouted that restaurant for you and left detailed commentary on the wait times and food quality. Buying a pair of pants online? Not only can you find out whether they run big or small, feel as soft as they look, or wrinkle too easily, but you can also see what they look like on people of various heights and body types. Books, toys, tools, destinations, even drivers, all have a certain number of stars intended to tell us their value. Reviewing has become such a large part of our culture that there are those who make their living solely on quantifying the value of things. Youtubers, influencers, and paid reviewers have become powerful voices in determining whether a person or product should be accepted by others.
So why bring it up? Sure, sharing information can be a wonderful tool and often prevents us from having an unpleasant experience. However, it is important to consider the other side of ratings.

For an independent artist, creator, author, small business owner, or service provider, a rating can mean the difference between success and failure. For industries that are subjective, such as art or entertainment, it has even become trendy to leave a critical review as a form of self-elevation, even if the work is good quality. One-star reviews are sometimes left by competitors, consumers outside the intended demographic, and even influencers looking to gain a following for being edgy or hard to please. Just one low-star review can disrupt sales, turn off potential consumers, reduce visibility, and potentially put the brakes on any future projects the original creator had in mind. For small business owners and food service, reviews have the same effect and are often based on factors that change quickly or are outside their control. Workforce shortages, supply chain issues, and even the weather can add up to a string of bad experiences that cause review scores to plummet. Even if the owner takes steps to remediate poor management or other problems, it can take months or even years to overcome the resulting bad reviews. For some, it can even be the end of their dream.

Unprompted, consumers are more likely to leave a review when they have had an unpleasant experience than when their expectations have been met. This often results in more critical reviews than positive ones, and therefore is not a balanced portrayal of the item or service in question. The flip side to this statistic is that paid reviews are more likely to be positive, sometimes creating an equally false positive idea of what is being offered. Remember to take every review with a grain of salt before making your final judgment.

In a less tangible sense, review culture has the potential to steal away a bit of the joy that comes from experiencing something for the first time. In times past, people could read a book, eat at a restaurant, or visit a park without considering putting a specific number value on their encounter. “I really liked this” was a valid and complete feeling and was based on a person’s own taste, perception, and feelings, rather than those of a stranger who came before them. Though popular opinion has always existed, before the internet and cellphones, friends would gather to talk about their experiences while being less burdened by worldwide influence or stigmas. People were more likely to consume media or products based on their individual likes and dislikes, rather than on viral trends or ranking lists.

Ranking culture is likely here to stay, and though it provides many benefits, it is up to us how we use the power of influence we hold in our hands. Whether by considering the star’s recipient before posting a bad review, taking the time to add positivity to the mix, or taking a leap of faith on something new, we can recapture the feeling of life before rating stars, and experience the joy that comes from valuing something simply for what it is.