In his article, “Everybody’s a Critic. And That’s How It Should Be.”, A.O. Scott makes the point simply suggested in his title. Just like we all have the unique abilities to create art, we also have the abilities, or as Scott even says “obligation”, to judge it all. So though we may all in some way be artists, we too are all critics. While he starts out somewhat mocking the idea of criticism/praise (when he mentions the Oscars), he ultimately defends the concept of critics, and their benefits to our society.

I was particularly interested when he wrote, “…the rise of social media has had the thrilling, confusing effect of making the conversation literal”. It made be begin to think of the internet’s role in our ability to critique. Though I agree that everyone is entitled to their opinion and should be critical of certain things (food, entertainment, and the like), I find that the internet has “blown-up” the amount of critic-based websites, almost like an “inflation” of critique and advice. What I mean by that is, with the advent of technology, we are now able to access so much information. But with all this information, guidance, advice, or as Scott puts it, “some useful counsel to readers”– is it actually conducive to our abilities to formulate our own ideas and opinions? Just because “legions of Facebook friends” can affirm the “wisdom of your choice”, does that mean that that choice is actually a good one for you? For some, it might be. I find that the influx of information is overwhelming. Having said that, I will still check Yelp or Rotten Tomatoes for ratings on certain places just to get a SENSE of the general public’s feelings towards that, for example, restaurant or movie. But is that information accurate and helpful in addressing all my personal needs and wants? Not always. I just think it’s important to use critiques wisely; to appreciate the voice of others, without overcoming your own personal opinions.