The internet can be both a useful tool for connection and simultaneously amplify some of the more unsettling parts of society.  This plays out with consumer reviews. They are both a useful way to find out the quality and value of an item or service, but there can be unintended consequences to these platforms.

Some issues stem from walking the tightrope between serving customers and businesses. It's also hard to be truly representative when not everyone decides to leave reviews. 

Michael Luca is a professor at Johns Hopkins whose work focuses on the design of online platforms. He joined the show to provide some perspective on how the platform and technology works.