The state of the internet can generally be summed up with one recently coined word that perfectly captures the current vibe. Meet your new favorite term to describe why your favorite things keep getting worse: enshittification. It turns out that “enshittification” resonates with so many people that Australia has deemed it their Word of the Year.
The word was coined by Canadian author Cody Doctorow, and if you’re wondering what on earth “enshittification” means, here you go. According to the ever-reliable Dictionary.com:
Enshittification (noun): the gradual degradation of an online platform or service's functionality, as part of a cycle in which the platform or service first offers benefits to users to attract them, then pursues more and more profits at the expense of users.
Think about it for a second, and I guarantee you can come up with at least a dozen examples of websites you once loved that have become—well—enshittified. Social media platforms you couldn’t live without until recently? TikTok? Fallen to enshittification. All of Meta? Enshittification. Twitter? Oh, absolutely enshittification. Even tech products and platforms we’ve grown accustomed to using in our everyday lives—looking at you, Canva—have fallen victim.
For business owners utilizing social media platforms with ever-changing algorithms, they’re at the mercy of goalposts that keep moving with little to no notice, forcing them to overhaul their entire marketing plans for the quarter—or the year. For users of tech companies offering essential services, the terms and conditions keep changing, and by not canceling your contract, you’ve “agreed.” The sting of enshittification is something you’ve absolutely felt in the past two years. And if you think you haven’t, well—it’s just your turn to be wrong.
Sure, enshittification may have won the top spot this year, but what about the runners-up? Glad you asked!
Brainrot: You know that feeling at 3 a.m. when you’ve been scrolling TikTok into the wee hours and end up on the stupid side of the clock app? Everything’s happy and fluffy but just... dumb? That’s brainrot.
Right to Disconnect: What do you do when Sarah sends another email after hours on a Friday? You ignore her. You activate your Right to Disconnect.
Back to enshittification.
Noticed any changes over the past year to the rate you pay for Netflix? Enshittification. Did Netflix cancel the one show you maintained your subscription for? Enshittification. Your favorite coffee shop raised its prices so much that a quick latte and work session now costs $20? Enshittification.
And Spotify? Okay, maybe it hasn’t fully succumbed to enshittification—but when it reminds us we paid for all this music on CDs once upon a time? OUCH.
So, the next time your favorite app gets worse, don’t threaten a good old-fashioned rage quit. Just label it enshittification and remember you’re not alone, warming your fingers by the digital dumpster fire. Together, we’ll make it through the era of enshittification—one snarky meme at a time.
