> it's so much harder to sift through what isn't worth paying attention to. I wonder if this speaks more culturally to how we consume

I think it’s culturally how lots of people treat many things in their lives.

People always want the best X, whether it’s a place to eat, or hike, or vacation, or get a selfie. It leads to pathological situations where the neat little backstreet spots become overrun, popular hikes get trashed, and people sit around mulling which restaurant to go to for so long that they go way too late or just give up.

People are afraid of a diversity of experience. I understand that time is limited and the desire to not waste it. But, many times the experience is what you make of it, and there’s some good to find most places, not just those with 4.98+ stars.