Enshittification

Enshitiffication is a phenomenon where companies providing flagship services purposely make their platform worse. First they provide services for everyone, then they make services worse for customers while benefiting business customers, and then they make the service for everyone worse, to gain profit. Enshittification usually prioritizes money over users. Shareholders and investors need the money so they do just that, like putting ads everywhere, adding AI features, etc. for them.

YouTube

YouTube has faced enshittification, usually by putting frequent ads, blocking ad blockers, adding AI features for some regions within the app and website, and also having extremely ineffective AI moderation.^[1]^[2]

Duolingo

Duolingo is one of the most popular language learning apps to face enshittification. Enshittification of Duolingo was done by changing or removing features like limiting practice for hearts, making users watch ads to earn hearts, frequent ads, and switching over to a new system called Energy. Energy is the worst thing that came to Duolingo, you use energy by getting lessons correct, and you won't be able to do lessons anymore when you use all your energy.^[3]^[4]^[5]

[1] ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrHf9g5Kz08

[2] ttps://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1u7jwf9/youtubes_ai_moderation_is_destroying_the_platform/

[3] ttps://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1flnzwh/what_happened_i_cant_practice_to_earn_hearts_now/

[4] ttps://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1l8nmpt/duolingos_new_energy_system_makes_the_application/

[5] ttps://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1iyretg/watch_an_ad_to_earn_a_heart_no_more_practice_to/

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