Enshittification Isn't Limited to the Digital World
2 hours ago
- #consumer-waste
- #planned-obsolescence
- #corporate-accountability
- Enshittification extends beyond digital platforms to physical products, evidenced by personal anecdotes of appliances failing prematurely despite being from reputable brands.
- The historical example of the Phoebus Cartel in the 1920s illustrates early planned obsolescence, where light bulb lifespans were artificially reduced to boost sales.
- Modern forms of obsolescence include contrived durability, difficult repairs, software throttling, and perceived obsolescence, driving excessive consumption and waste.
- Consumer data shows increasing replacement rates for appliances and electronics, with shorter lifespans contributing to growing global e-waste.
- Airlines and digital platforms employ 'calculated misery' and enshittification, degrading basic services to extract fees, paralleling trends in physical products.
- Systemic factors, such as corporate profit motives and lobbying against right-to-repair laws, undermine product longevity, shifting blame away from individual consumers.
- Regulatory efforts, like EU rules on replaceable batteries and airline baggage fees, offer pathways to combat enshittification by addressing economic incentives.
- While technological advances exist, individual actions are limited by systemic constraints, highlighting the need for collective and policy-driven solutions.