Lesson: Enshittification

Enshittification is the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English’s 2024 word of the year. What? Yes, it is a sign of the times. Enshittification is a term that captures the gradual degradation of a product, service, or platform over time, typically due to prioritizing profit over user experience and quality. This process often occurs in various industries, especially technology and digital media. Initially, companies attract users with high-quality offerings, fostering a loyal customer base. However, as they grow, the focus shifts from enhancing user satisfaction to maximizing revenue, leading to compromises that negatively affect the user experience. This deterioration manifests in various ways, such as intrusive advertisements, decreased functionality, and reduced customer support. The phenomenon highlights the tension between profit motives and the long-term sustainability of a user-centred approach. Understanding enshittification is crucial for consumers and companies. Increasing enshittification of everything highlights the decreasing importance placed on maintaining quality in the face of ever-increasing commercialization and competition in business.