Enshittification rules: there goes the post-platform internet era

Enshittification, the idea that online platforms, particularly social networks and social media, degrade once they become popular, is a fiction, according to Ruby Thelot, Professor of Design, AI and Media Theory, at New York University. Because, rather than turning away from from the likes of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, people continue to embrace these platforms. Thelot made the claims in comments published at a16z, which were re-posted by 404 Media, and said people are using these platforms more than ever, and are quite happy with the experience. Further, according to Thelot, membership of the platforms is increasing, along with their profits. But Thelot didn’t stop there. He said Cory Doctorow, who first used the word enshittification, might have valued Facebook early on, but became resentful as the platform evolved. Thelot believes that people who are about the same age as Doctorow probably feel the same way, but younger people see things differently. The idea of…