Australia's quasi-official Macquarie Dictionary has selected 'enshittification' as the word of 2024, reflecting a widespread perception that once-great digital services are deteriorating and becoming increasingly problematic.
'ENSHITTIFICATION -- Noun. Colloquial, the gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking.'
The term, coined by writer Cory Doctorow, describes a process where apps or digital platforms initially offer tremendous utility but progressively degrade as they prioritize profit. Social media platforms like X and ride-sharing app Uber are often cited as examples, having started by providing valuable information or deals but later exploiting customers or scaling back services.
Doctorow elucidates enshittification as the reason behind Facebook users' feeds cluttered with irrelevant content, Google search inundated with ads and sponsored material, and Amazon promoting low-quality, inexpensive products regardless of customer searches. Enshittification surpassed other contenders such as 'brainrot', 'overtourism', and 'rawdogging' to be chosen as the word of the year by the dictionary's expert committee, as well as being voted the 'People's Choice Winner'.
The committee remarked, 'This word encapsulates what many of us sense is unfolding in the world and in numerous facets of our lives currently.'
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