Depending on the views of strangers

HOW much stock should we place in online reviews when deciding to buy a product or engage a service provider?

That is a question I ask myself a lot lately as online shopping and delivery servi­ces grow in popularity.

Nowadays, online reviews can make or break a business and proprietors usually monitor customer feedback closely.

Negative reviews, which often include star ratings and online comments, may snowball into a hate campaign if not properly managed.

The practice of giving reviews is not new but the wide world of the Internet has given such commentary newfound prominence.

Some take it a step further by posting their reviews on social media, giving rise to “influencers”.

Many rely on these perso­nalities to help them decide if a certain product or service offered value for money.

But just how reliable are these reviews and to what extent will these recommendations align with personal preferences?

I have an acquaintance who is obsessed with online reviews and influencers’ opinions.

Whether deciding on video games, furniture or where to eat, he seems incapable of deciding without input from these reviewers.

I can’t help but think he might have missed out on experiences he would have otherwise enjoyed, because of his dependency on the views of strangers.

While I understand wanting to be informed when making a purchase, blindly trusting reviews robs one of the opportunity for self-discovery.

It also leads to the inability to form one’s own opinions, which could be important for the process of making life decisions later on.

Online reviews may not truly reflect the quality of a product or service.

Generally, people are susceptible to negative bias, which has the effect of amplifying negative reactions.

Typically, those who are dissatisfied with a product or service are more likely to leave a comment than those who are happy.

This skews the reviews towards being more negative overall, thus creating an inaccurate perception.

Also, while social media gives equal space for everyone to share his or her opinions, not all views are valuable.

While some opinions are based on good insight, other comments might have been left in bad faith.

In some countries, there have been claims of review-­bombing, sometimes initiated by competitors, to influence public perception.

Reviews may also be politically motivated, where people boycott products and services seen as opposed to their values or principles, rather than on quality.

Recently, a popular game developer suffered poor sales when it was accused of using its product as a culture war statement.

When more positive reviews began surfacing, it was too late, as the developer had reportedly laid off many employees to cut losses.

Reviews are popular because they appeal to our innate desire to fit in, by compelling us to choose what others are already using and consuming.

However, they may also deprive us of the ability to develop our own opinions and preferences.

Recently, my friends and I went to watch a movie.

We spent nearly RM40 on tickets and popcorn to watch a horror movie that turned out to be more of a laugh riot than a scare fest.

Had we read the reviews, we could have saved some money.

But I am glad we went, because it gave us something to laugh about.

After all, the outing was never really about the movie – it was about spending time and creating memories together.