"Enshittification" Named Word Of The Year

Tecfai Editorial Team

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Post on Nov 26, 2024

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"Enshittification": Named Word of the Year – A Deep Dive into the Degradation of Online Services

The year is drawing to a close, and with it comes the annual announcement of words that have captured the zeitgeist. This year, a particularly pungent contender has emerged: "enshittification." While not exactly a word you'd expect to grace a dictionary, its sudden surge in popularity reflects a growing unease about the changing landscape of online services. But what exactly is enshitification, and why has it become the word of the year for some?

Understanding the Meaning of "Enshittification"

Coined by internet writer and programmer, Cory Doctorow, "enshittification" describes the process by which a once-excellent service gradually declines in quality while simultaneously increasing its price. This isn't a simple price hike; it's a systematic erosion of the user experience, often driven by prioritizing profit over user satisfaction.

Think about it: a service you once loved, perhaps a streaming platform or social media site, starts to change. Features are removed, interfaces become cluttered with ads, customer service deteriorates, and overall functionality diminishes. Yet, despite these obvious downgrades, the price remains the same or even increases. This, in essence, is enshitification.

Key Characteristics of Enshittification

Several key characteristics define enshittification:

• Erosion of Quality: This is the cornerstone of enshittification. It manifests as bugs, glitches, reduced functionality, poor design choices, and a general decline in the overall user experience.
• Increased Monetization: The focus shifts from providing a valuable service to maximizing profits, often through aggressive monetization strategies like intrusive ads, paywalls, and subscription increases.
• Degradation of User Experience: This includes everything from frustrating user interfaces to slow loading times and poor customer support. The focus shifts from user needs to shareholder demands.
• Disregard for User Feedback: Companies undergoing enshittification often become unresponsive to user feedback, ignoring complaints and suggestions for improvement.

Why is Enshittification Trending?

The increasing prevalence of enshittification isn't just a matter of bad luck; it's a symptom of several broader trends:

• Monopolies and Lack of Competition: In many sectors, the lack of meaningful competition allows companies to get away with degrading their services without fear of losing customers.
• Short-Term Profit Focus: A focus on short-term profits often overshadows long-term sustainability, leading companies to prioritize quick gains over customer loyalty.
• Shifting Business Models: The transition to subscription models, while sometimes beneficial, can also incentivize companies to focus on revenue generation rather than product improvement.

Combating Enshittification: What Can We Do?

While the term itself is stark, understanding enshittification empowers us to fight back. We can actively combat this trend by:

• Supporting independent and smaller companies: These often prioritize user experience over profit maximization.
• Leaving platforms demonstrating signs of enshittification: Your actions speak volumes. If you’re unhappy, vote with your feet (or rather, your mouse clicks).
• Vocalizing dissatisfaction: Let companies know when you're unhappy through feedback mechanisms, social media, and online reviews.
• Promoting open-source alternatives: Consider using open-source software and services, which are often built with user needs as a priority.

"Enshittification" might be a harsh-sounding word, but its increasing recognition highlights a critical issue. By understanding this phenomenon and taking action, we can help shape a digital landscape that prioritizes quality, user experience, and long-term sustainability over short-sighted profit maximization. The future of our online interactions depends on it.