Sad Cows and Empty Pockets: How Reviews, Recommendations, and Word-of-Mouth Can Affect Your Life

The opinions of others, be they in-person or in print, play an integral role in determining how we spend our money, which in turn determines every aspect of how we live our lives. In this paper, I explore the ways in which external factors influence internal decisions, from a video game review's affect on my priorities to who we do or do not trust and why. I investigate how the approval of others, even in the anonymity of the internet, can sway an undecided mind. In addition, I look at how a number of these factors - first impressions, written testimonies, visual cues - play into online dating, and how families and companies compel people to stick with what they know. I also examine how small costs can become big expenses and how bargains and deals can be anything but what they seem.