In a world of information chaos, the idea of consensus has intuitive appeal. Online ratings and reviews provide us with conclusions that feel certain. That feel real. Online reviews are like a shrewd companion we can rely on to nudge us here and away from there on our online journeys. They have become so ubiquitous that we expect them to be present and are a bit discombobulated when they aren’t. From food to tech to clothes to movies to music to books, there are very few consumer spaces where online reviews don’t play a central role.
And for e-commerce—an industry that was worth approximately $6 trillion (US) globally in 2022—they have become essential. There is a vast and growing industry, what I call the opinion economy, that leverages our belief in the value of the (allegedly) authentic views of others and that increasingly shapes not only our purchasing behaviour but also our tastes and expressions of personal identity. The opinion economy is built on our desire for a beacon of clarity and certainty in our fantastically chaotic information ecosystem. It stands as one of the best examples of a certainty illusion. It also serves to illustrate how our best hopes for the internet—the frictionless and free exchange of authentic ideas and opinions—can be exploited, distorted, and monetized, all with very little recognition or care that it is happening.
