Al Jazeera :
Australia’s oldest dictionary of Australian English has chosen “enshittification” – a slang term referring to the deterioration of products and services online – as the word of 2024.
Macquarie Dictionary, which is widely considered the standard reference on Australian English, said on Tuesday that the term tapped into a widespread feeling that things were getting worse, especially in the digital world.
“This word captures what many of us feel is happening to the world and to so many aspects of our lives at the moment,” the dictionary’s judging committee said in a statement on its website.
Macquarie Dictionary said the term – which it defined as “gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking” – beat out shortlist picks such as “looksmaxxing”, “overtourism” and “sigma”.
Canadian-British author Cory Doctorow coined “enshittification” in a 2022 essay decrying the perceived decline of digital platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
