The Digital Decline: How the Internet Became 'Enshittified' and Paths to Restoration

Dec 04, 2025 05:15 pm CST

This article examines Cory Doctorow's concept of "enshittification" - the three-stage process by which internet platforms deliberately degrade from user-friendly communities to extractive monopolies. Using examples like Twitter's transformation under Elon Musk and Amazon's business practices, it explores how tech companies have created "technofeudalist" systems that trap users despite declining quality. The piece concludes with four practical strategies for "deshittifying" the internet through competition, regulation, interoperability, and tech-worker empowerment.