An increasing number of young diners are passing on highly rated restaurants when choosing where to eat in growing skepticism toward online ratings and reviews. Many restaurants on platforms such as Dianping (China’s Yelp) and Meituan are suspected of manipulating their ratings by bribing customers with gifts and discounts for positive reviews or even hiring ghostwriters to create fake comments.
In mid-January, the hashtag “3.5-star-rated restaurants are crowded with young diners” went viral on Sina Weibo, highlighting the emerging trend of younger patrons opting for eateries with modest ratings. Many netizens shared similar experiences of finding that the service and food in high-priced restaurants did not align with their 4.8 to 5-star ratings. However, many discovered that modestly rated eateries provided very good food and service. Netizens argued that the phenomenon indicates a more rational shift in spending habits among younger consumers, who no longer trust ratings and reviews without question. More have called for rating platforms to improve their scoring mechanisms to ensure fairness and impartiality and to root out dishonest business practices.
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