Commentary: Have online reviews killed the joy of discovery?

SINGAPORE: As a travel journalist, I spend a considerable amount of time recommending places to eat, visit and stay. Yet when exploring a destination on my own time, I increasingly find myself ignoring online reviews and other people's recommendations.

It might seem outdated when many of us won't step into an unfamiliar cafe without first checking Google, Tripadvisor or social media. But there's a particular thrill in stumbling upon a charming bookshop down a side street or choosing a restaurant because the aromas wafting from its kitchen prove irresistible.

Not every discovery turns out to be a winner, but that's part of the adventure. Besides, with fake online reviews proliferating across multiple industries, it makes more sense to take them with a pinch of salt.

A recent CNA investigation uncovered Carousell listings offering to pay users up to S$5 to create fake positive reviews for businesses, including a law firm and a funeral home.

Just a day later, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore revealed that 45 businesses, ranging from restaurants and hair salons to medical clinics and professional services, admitted to purchasing fake reviews. They were required to remove them and issue public apologies.

A glowing review was once worth its weight in gold to a business. But when five-star endorsements can be bought for a few dollars and even AI can churn out testimonials en masse, perhaps it is time we placed a little less faith in strangers' opinions.

WHEN FIVE STARS ARE FOR SALE

Fake reviews are more than a nuisance. They can mislead consumers, distort ratings and put honest businesses at a disadvantage. It is annoying when an eatery falls short of expectations because of artificially inflated ratings, but far more troubling when fake reviews influence weightier decisions, such as which doctor or lawyer to engage.

There's also the murkier practice of offering freebies or discounts in exchange for favourable reviews. These testimonials may come from genuine customers, but how impartial can their praise be when there's something to be gained from awarding five stars?

The existence of an entire market for manufactured approval reveals just how reliant we have become on the opinions of others. In fact, the competition watchdog found that one fake review provider even offered a calculator allowing businesses to work out how many five-star reviews they need to achieve their desired Google rating.

Ironically, the more reliant we are on the “wisdom of the crowd” to make informed decisions, the greater the incentive for businesses to manipulate online reviews, undermining the very system we turn to for guidance.

When I do consult online reviews these days, I sometimes find the negative ones more revealing than glowing praise. The trick is to look for recurring complaints. For example, a one-off gripe about slow service may not bother me, but repeated mentions of hidden charges certainly would.

THE OBSESSION WITH FINDING THE BEST

Questionable online reviews are only part of the picture. But even when recommendations are credible, our fixation with finding the “best” of everything comes with its own downside: it can take some of the joy out of discovering places for ourselves.

Of course, when time and money are limited, it makes sense to do a little homework and consider others’ opinions rather than try multiple options before finding something we like.

Take the Michelin Guide and The 50 Best Restaurants and Bars lists, for instance. As someone who tracks these accolades for work purposes, I appreciate their value. Both draw on culinary expertise, with Michelin relying on anonymous inspectors and 50 Best on votes from international industry professionals.

When I visit an unfamiliar city and want to splurge on a special meal, these guides can help narrow down my choices. I have certainly enjoyed memorable dining experiences thanks to their recommendations.

Yet increasingly, I find myself less excited by their selections. Perhaps it is because familiar names and dining concepts seem to crop up repeatedly – a common critique of these lists – making the whole process feel rather predictable. 

Certainly, there is nothing wrong with wanting to experience the world's best restaurants. But when every meal is planned around a formulaic definition of excellence, we might end up overlooking places that might appeal more to our own quirks and tastes.

These days, I still scan the guides to get a sense of the dining scene, but I am just as interested in asking friends whose tastes I trust about the places they have been gatekeeping.

Better yet, there is satisfaction in following a hunch and discovering somewhere wonderful by chance. After all, when it comes to life's smaller pleasures, this is not really such a risky gamble. More often than not, the worst outcome is a mediocre meal or a forgettable experience – hardly a catastrophe in the grand scheme of things.

Recommendations will always have their place but I think we owe it to ourselves to trust our own instincts too. That is exactly how a true “hidden gem” might be uncovered – not by consulting lists and online reviews. 

Karen Tee is a freelance lifestyle and travel journalist based in Singapore.