A new term has emerged to describe the gradual deterioration of online services due to profit-seeking and reduced quality: enshittification. Characterized by nonsense on social media and a decline in digital platform standards, this phenomenon is exemplified by Elon Musk’s actions on Twitter. Efforts to reverse enshittification through regulation, competition, and user power may hold the key to restoring quality and integrity to digital platforms.
What is Enshittification?
Enshittification is a term that describes the gradual deterioration of a service or product, especially an online platform, due to profit-seeking and a reduction in quality.
Characteristics of Enshittification
The phenomenon of enshittification is characterized by the serving of nonsense on social media, such as sponsored content, clickbait news, and rage-baiting hot takes. It also represents the belief that everything, from politics to culture, is becoming increasingly subpar.
Examples of Enshittification
Many people believe that Elon Musk’s actions on Twitter, now X, are a prime example of enshittification. The term gained popularity after Cory Doctorow used it to describe the decline of digital platforms.
Definition of Enshittification
The Macquarie Dictionary defines enshittification as ‘the gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking.’
Honorable Mentions for Word of the Year
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Right to disconnect
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Social battery
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Skibidi
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Sigma
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Brainrot
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Rawdogging
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Fairy porn
Impact of Enshittification
Websites once deemed helpful are now harmful; social media is a toxic wasteland where the loudest (and most obnoxious) have their say, and algorithms have become so powerful at personalising content that most of us now exist in a depressing echo chamber.
Causes of Enshittification
The causes of enshittification include increased spam, AI-generated content, and algorithms prioritising engagement over user benefit.
Reversing Enshittification
Author Cory Doctorow remains optimistic that action on competition, regulation, and user power could reverse the process of enshittification. This may involve destroying big tech rather than fixing it, to restore quality and integrity to digital platforms.
