enshittification
/ɛnˌʃɪtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
CommonThe gradual decline of a platform or product as it prioritizes profit over users.
Mostly used in tech criticism. Can be applied to any service or product that visibly degraded after an initial honeymoon period. Carries real cynicism about late-stage platform capitalism.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The enshittification of Twitter is almost complete at this point. | Twitter has followed the full arc from useful platform to degraded product. | reddit, 2024 |
| 02 | Google Search is deep into enshittification territory. Half the results are SEO garbage. | Search quality has degraded to the point where it primarily serves advertisers and SEO farms, not users. | x, 2024 |
| 03 | Every app follows the same enshittification cycle. Good, then tolerable, then unusable. | The decline is so consistent it has become a predictable pattern. | reddit, 2023 |
| 04 | Spotify went from music app to podcast spam. Textbook enshittification. | Spotify prioritized business relationships over the core product users actually wanted. | x, 2023 |
Use it when
- A platform that used to be good has gotten noticeably worse over time.
- A company is visibly prioritizing ads or revenue over user experience.
- Discussing the lifecycle of internet platforms generally.
- Criticizing a product that felt bait-and-switched after initial quality.
Do not use it when
- A product was always bad from the start.
- You mean a single feature got worse, not the whole platform.
Origin and context
Coined by writer Cory Doctorow in 2022 to describe the predictable lifecycle of internet platforms. Spread rapidly in tech journalism and online discourse.
- First seen
- 2022
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/enshittificationUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0