Use the word for a sustained pattern of degraded service, not for every bug, unpopular change, or ordinary decline in taste.
Use the word for a sustained pattern of degraded service, not for every bug, unpopular change, or ordinary decline in taste.
A single bad update is too narrow unless it belongs to a wider pattern of degraded service, more extraction, or reduced user value.
Coined by Cory Doctorow in 2022 from en-, shit, and -ification, then popularized through his writing on platform decline and named Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society for 2023.
What does enshittification mean?
Enshittification means the gradual decline of a platform, service, or product as profit-seeking makes it worse for users.
Is enshittification always about technology?
It is most common for online platforms and apps, but it can also describe products or services that get worse through the same extractive pattern.
Who coined enshittification?
Cory Doctorow coined the word in 2022 while describing how digital platforms decline after users and business customers become dependent on them.
Is enshittification formal English?
It is a slang noun with profanity in it, so it fits commentary and informal analysis better than formal or neutral writing.
What is the opposite of enshittification?
Possible opposites are improvement, upgrade, and restoration, depending on whether a service becomes better or recovers lost quality.