The Enshittification of Everything: How Corporate Consolidation is Eroding Trust and What We Can Do About It
For years, a quiet but powerful force has been reshaping our world – and not for the better. It’s a process Cory Doctorow calls “enshittification,” and it’s impacting everything from the products you buy to the facts you consume, and even your faith in institutions. But what is enshittification, and more importantly, how can we push back?
This isn’t about a sudden decline; it’s a predictable outcome of unchecked corporate power. Let’s break down what’s happening, why it matters, and what a potential path forward looks like.
Understanding Enshittification: A Three-Stage Process
doctorow’s framework outlines a clear progression:
- First, serve the users: Companies initially focus on attracting customers with beneficial products and services. Think competitive pricing, innovative features, and excellent customer support.
- Then, serve the business customers: once a large user base is established, the focus shifts to maximizing value for businesses using the platform. This often means prioritizing advertisers, data collection, and revenue-generating features over user experience.
- serve yourselves: The ultimate stage involves extracting maximum value for the company’s owners and executives, often at the expense of both users and business customers. This can manifest as price hikes,reduced quality,and exploitative practices.
This isn’t accidental. It’s a logical outcome of prioritizing shareholder value above all else in a landscape dominated by monopolies and oligopolies.
Why Consolidation Fuels the Fire
The core driver of enshittification is a lack of competition. When a handful of companies control entire industries, they face little pressure to innovate or prioritize customer needs.
* Reduced Innovation: Why invest in improvements when you already dominate the market?
* Regulatory capture: Large corporations wield significant influence over regulators, shaping policies to benefit themselves. The opioid crisis, with companies like Purdue Pharma (the Sacklers) profiting immensely while communities suffered, is a stark example.
* Erosion of Trust: When companies prioritize profit over peopel, trust inevitably erodes. This breeds cynicism and fuels the spread of misinformation.
Think about it: if you suspect a pharmaceutical company would prioritize profits over your health, you’re more likely to question vaccine safety. This isn’t irrational; it’s a logical response to a broken system.
The Political Fallout: Trauma and Nihilism
The consequences extend far beyond frustrating user experiences.Enshittification breeds a sense of powerlessness and distrust in institutions.
* Increased Skepticism: People become wary of experts and authorities, making them vulnerable to conspiracy theories and harmful ideologies.
* Political Polarization: A lack of trust in established systems creates fertile ground for extremist views.
* A Cycle of Disengagement: Feeling powerless can lead to apathy and disengagement from the political process.
Simply calling for a “restoration of trust” isn’t enough. We need to make these institutions trustworthy again. And that starts with breaking up the monopolies that have captured them.
A Path Forward: Restoring Rivalry and Building Coalitions
So, what can be done? the answer lies in fostering competition and building a broad-based movement for change.
* Break Up Monopolies: Antitrust enforcement is crucial. More firms mean more diverse perspectives and a greater incentive to prioritize customer needs. Remember, 500 competing companies will present regulators with a wider range of demands than just five.
* Strengthen Regulation: We need robust regulations that protect consumers and prevent corporate abuse.
* Embrace Solidarity: Recognize that the issues impacting diffrent sectors are interconnected.
As James Boyle points out, just as environmentalism brought together concerns about owls and the ozone layer, the fight against consolidated corporate power can unite diverse groups. Connecting the dots - from your frustrating search results to your expensive medications – reveals a common enemy.
is a Tipping Point Near?
It’s unachievable to predict the future.But as Stein’s Law suggests, unsustainable practices eventually come to an