Company Blog

Why you gotta be so mean?

by Adam Zack — October 4, 2017

They thrive on writing negative reviews.

And all you’re ever gonna be is mean

(Why you gotta be so mean)

Someday I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me

(Why you gotta be so mean)

And all you’re ever gonna be is mean

Why you gotta be so mean?

-Taylor Swift

My mom told us “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” So we had our mouths shut a lot, at least in front of her. Today’s social media world seems to have grown up without a mom who gave them the same advice. We are consistently looking for validation and direction from social media and online forums as to what we should actually do every day. Where should we eat? What should we watch? How do I get home the quickest? Which wine should I buy? Is this movie any good? The Internet age has turned everyone it seems into a critic. Rotten Tomatoes and Yelp! They have compiled the opinions of average schmos like you and me into multibillion-dollar business that have made (or broken) many a business and career. Don’t get me wrong; an accumulation of opinions can be a good thing when trying to make a major decision like buying a car or deciding on a vacation destination. Like professional restaurant and movie critiques, Yelp reviews and Rotten Tomatoes scores influence where we eat and what we watch. As business owners, we have to be aware what others are saying about our business and putting out there for the world to see. The amount of influence they can exert is sometimes a scary thing. But unlike professional critics, the new abundance of non-professional diners, shoppers and moviegoers seem almost drunk with their new-found power and rudely brash when it comes to sharing their opinion. They don’t even see a distinction between constructive criticism (The service was slow, and my fries were cold) and just being mean (Worst service EVER! The food was the worst slop I’ve ever had and I’ll be glad when this place goes out of business and their lousy employees lose their jobs!! Don’t ever go here!!!) They thrive on writing negative reviews. It happens every day, and I suppose we should take the words of these cyber bullies with a grain of salt. Just maybe they didn’t have a great mom who told them not to say anything if they can’t say something nice, or maybe they had THE WORST MOM EVER whose kid turned out to be a LOUDMOUTH S.O.B that has NO FRIENDS for a good reason!!!