It’s Not Your Imagination, the Internet Has Become Crappier

“We’re all living through a great enshittening, in which the services that matter to us, that we rely on, are turning into giant piles of sh*t.” — Cory Doctorow

Let’s face it, the internet is starting to suck. Some people point out it has been crappy for a long time, but now it’s in our faces. Every time we open our phone we are blasted by strange notifications, ads, or feeds of something we “might like”. Even though these algorithms get us to things we do like, it seems like drinking from the fire hose. Why does it seems like the internet has become so crappy? It’s because it is.

Welcome to the lovely world of enshittification. Yup, it’s a real word – one that sums up the theory that technology products decline over time¹. It’s not just the internet, but apps and technology as well. Companies start off being great to customers, then they make decisions only based off of share holders, then they fold². You can see this happening in real time. AI slop is all over social media³. SmartTVs have done nothing but worsen the user experience and have transformed into in-home digital billboards⁴. Even once-trusted video game producers are joining in by producing half-baked games and selling them at full price. Their response to customer feedback? Ban all online reviews⁵. Nice job, guys.

As depressing as this might be, you still retain all the power. Just like any market, users can make an impact through their own individual choices. If you disagree with a platform’s approach, stop using it. Tired of all the crap they are slinging at you? Turn off your notifications or uninstall it completely. If you do enjoy an app or website, continue to use them but put yourself on limits. Please stop doom scrolling for your own mental health. Find other ways to connect with friends and family, in person. Don’t allow the internet to provide you with worse products and diminishing returns.

Action: Really angry about the quality of an app or service? Disengage with it.

Further Reading:

1. Enshittification
2. There’s a reason why it feels like the internet has gone bad
3. It’s not just you. More weird spam is popping up on Facebook
4. As Internet enshittification marches on, here are some of the worst offenders
5. Cyberpunk 2077 Review: A Fun, Buggy, Hot Mess.