Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M3740

Enshittification

Enshittification
BusinessHigh supportEconomics
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28

CORE DEFINITION

Enshittification, also known as platform decay, is a process in which two-sided online products and services decline in quality over time. Initially, vendors create high-quality offerings to attract users, then they degrade those offerings to better serve business customers, and finally degrade their services to both users and business customers to maximise short-term profits for shareholders.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

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Reduce cognitive load

Enshittification, also known as platform decay, is a process in which two-sided online products and services decline in quality over time. Initially, vendors create high-quality offerings to attract users, then they degrade those offerings to better serve business customers, and finally degrade their services to both users and business customers to maximise short-term profits for shareholders.

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Platform decay refers to the process in which digital platforms, after passing the growth inflection point, gradually lose their value-creation capability due to rigid rules, stagnant innovation, loss of high-quality supply, and influx of arbitrageurs. It is the downward segment of the platform lifecycle.

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EnshittificationZH · Explicit
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