In a blink of an eye, music arrives at our doorsteps. And in a blink of an eye, music is ripped out of our grasp and becomes a faded memory. A brand new shiny album rolls in with a nice bow on top every week, and by the next day, users on social media have created trendy dances to it, and by the following day, it’s been tossed to the side to make space for the next “big thing.” With the hot rise of social media comes the quiet fall of music criticism. Algorithms, groupthink and ambiguity intolerance are, more often than not, found at the scene of the crime.

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, if a music listener wanted to know what the next album they should listen to, they would go to professional critics. This is in contrast to modern day, where any person can get online and click the record button and talk about their own personal opinions. The algorithm decides to reward the video that grabs the largest audience, which is usually the video that evokes emotions in the fans. It rewards the loud black and white manner of thinking rather than the subtle, curious approach of criticism.

Streaming platforms have changed how audiences discover music in the same way Google Maps replaced hand-held maps. Rather than going out to try and find new music, people are being hand-fed personalized playlists and mixes. Instead of an actual person challenging a presupposition, there is a sort of appliance learning what listeners enjoy on a specific day or how they are feeling. And these algorithms get set in stone undeniably rapidly, and reinforce already established beliefs, furthering the dogmatic principle that anything outside of your opinion is wrong.

This continuous growth is occurring all the while fans are sharpening their knives. An online opinion isn’t just taken as “in between” anymore; it’s received as a type of blasphemy. Intricate points of view, such as enjoying a particular element of a song, for example, the lyrics, while not enjoying another component, the melodic pattern, are tossed aside. They are then questioned because ambiguity intolerance won’t allow certain fans to understand that not everyone will enjoy the same music they do.

This loss of ability to observe, think about for a period of time and then form an opinion is not in favor of the artists. Without criticism, the door for less experimentation and more comfort opens to artists. Without trial and error, producers, writers and singers will begin creating the same algorithm-ready songs. Television host and comedian Steve Harvey said it perfectly, “Success is not a comfortable procedure. You have to be comfortable, being uncomfortable.”

There is still hope; in certain dark corners of the internet, people are still presenting more complex discussions, which is a step in the right direction. Mass audiences have to be more willing to tolerate opposing viewpoints to ensure that music continues to be art instead of being monotone. Caring about music inherently means caring about criticism.