It’s Not Your Job to Fix the Internet’s Enshittification

According to The Verge, author and activist Cory Doctorow’s concept of “enshittification” perfectly captures why platforms like Google, Amazon, and Facebook feel increasingly extractive rather than valuable. Doctorow’s new book “Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It” argues this decline follows a predictable pattern where successful, user-focused products eventually turn against their users. On The Vergecast podcast, Doctorow explains this wasn’t always the case and believes we can reclaim the good internet through regulatory and technical changes rather than individual user action. The book specifically avoids blaming users or suggesting personal behavior changes like shopping local or quitting platforms. Doctorow maintains the current state of the internet isn’t users’ fault – and fixing it isn’t our responsibility unless we have power to change bad laws.

Doctorow’s refreshing perspective

Here’s what I find genuinely refreshing about Doctorow’s approach: he’s not giving us another tired lecture about digital minimalism or voting with our wallets. We’ve heard that sermon before, and let’s be honest – how’s that working out for everyone? The truth is, most of us can’t realistically quit these platforms. Your job might require LinkedIn, your family coordination needs Facebook, and good luck finding alternatives to Google Search that don’t feel like going back to the dial-up era.

Doctorow basically says what many of us feel but rarely hear from experts: this mess isn’t our fault. There’s something liberating about that. We’re not failing because we can’t resist the algorithmic dopamine hits – the systems are designed to be irresistible while extracting maximum value from our attention and data.

Why individual action doesn’t cut it

But here’s the thing – if it’s not our job to fix this, whose job is it? Doctorow points to regulators and lawmakers, which honestly feels both reassuring and terrifying. Reassuring because real change requires systemic solutions. Terrifying because, well, have you seen how tech regulation usually goes?

I can’t help but be skeptical about whether the political will exists to actually tackle this. The same lawmakers who struggle to understand basic technology are supposed to rein in trillion-dollar companies with armies of lobbyists? It feels like bringing a knife to a drone fight. And yet, Doctorow seems to believe it’s possible. He argues the good internet still exists out there – we just need to fight for its return through proper channels.

Is there realistic hope?

So what does this mean for those of us just trying to use the internet without feeling like we’re being slowly drained? Doctorow’s perspective offers a mental shift more than immediate solutions. Stop blaming yourself for platform decline. Recognize that the feeling things are getting worse isn’t in your head – it’s a documented business strategy.

The real question becomes: if we accept that fixing enshittification requires systemic change, what can ordinary people actually do? Doctorow suggests supporting organizations that fight for digital rights and better regulations. But he’s clear that the heavy lifting needs to happen at levels most of us can’t directly influence. It’s simultaneously comforting and frustrating – you’re off the hook for individual responsibility, but you’re also relatively powerless.

Maybe that’s the most honest assessment we’ve gotten about the state of the internet in years. It’s broken, it’s not your fault, and you alone can’t fix it. Now what do we do with that information?