Is Enshittification Inevitable? - Mark Rickerby

Mark Rickerby, a Lecturer in the University of Canterbury’s School of Product Design, explores the concept of enshittification, highlighting the decline in user experience with digital products. He examines how tech giants initially offer excellent services, then commodify users for business clients, and eventually prioritize profits over both. Rickerby considers whether this trend is an inevitable outcome of neoliberal capitalism or shaped by cultural and technological shifts in the 2000s and 2010s. He also discusses potential optimism for the internet’s future and how we might build a healthier digital ecosystem.