Enshittification: The Subtle Art of Calling Capitalism Something Else

Three years ago, I wrote an article titled “ The Vibenomics of Enshittification ,” in which I argued that Cory Doctorow’s then-new term provided a sense of economic analysis while keeping capitalism somewhat detached from direct explanation. Since then, “enshittification” has gained widespread popularity. It has been featured in the media, evolved from describing digital platforms to explaining…