I grew up watching YouTube channels like MKBHD review phones, operating systems, headphones, and other personal devices. I grew up reading magazines like Car and Driver and Real Simple review cars and household products, respectively. Whenever I’m uncertain about a purchasing decision, a restaurant choice, or a YouTube recommendation, I turn to something that can reassure my future self of time well-spent. Or is it softening my present self’s anxiety.
One pleasure of following popular tech is witnessing all the cool innovations. Regardless of commercial viability, an edge-to-edge display is neat. Understanding even a semblance of the science & engineering effort provides an unmatched “Wow.” feeling. However, as cynical as I am, smartphones have been able to do fulfill their requirements for many, many years. Anything on top is just a sweet, gluttonous cherry.
On the same note, I tried to understand the perspective innate in a published review. The whole purpose is to dissect a product & ecosystem, and then make comparisons not unlike making a mountain out of a molehill. Most changes year-after-year are incremental, but the content still needs to be enticing and full. In my everyday life, my requirements and considerations are fundamentally different (read: lower) from that of a review. So really, what do I get out of reading a review?
This is not to say I don’t watch reviews anymore. Reviews are like a window into a product and it’s space. I use reviews to help me know what I need and what I don’t want. Or help me know what I want and what I don’t need.
I will not lie that there is some sort of human connection component to this. I’m sure the nation-states and billion-dollar companies have already cracked this code. There is nothing better than googling a question and seeing a Reddit, StackExchange, or hell, even a Quora thread filled with answers for your picking. It can range from a technical question to a shower thought to a practical recommendation.
Seeking Reddit (“human” thoughts) about everything
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products
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also community and opinions
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very tangential is seeking other humans’ opinions and thought (e.g. game-specific subreddit)
- Not being able to be fearful and always having to know more of what the future holds
- No more room for surprise and tolerance and wanting everything to be perfect
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recommendations from friends and family
- where should I go for an oil change?
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music critiques and consuming media with a critical person sitting in the back of your mind
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Ratings on restaurants and ecommerce products