Inner-Strength Check - Ep. 18 - 'Touch Grass' Part 1: The Enshittification Of The Internet

Ep. 18 - 'Touch Grass' Part 1: The Enshittification Of The Internet

11/05/23 • 75 min

The core tenet of this podcast is around legitimising the value of the arts, interests, hobbies and leisure in today's increasingly stressful, commodified world.

There's no better example of why this matters more than ever than the absolute dumpster-fire we're faced with in terms of user experiences on social media and like, in 2023.

Join me as we explore exactly how, where and why Big Tech is becoming 'enshittified'.

Timestamps:

[0:00] - Intro/Housekeeping

[1:58] - Hobby Update! (Tabletop RPG, [7:35] Music, [11:55] Video Games)

[13:36] - Topic - Intro, Overview Discussion

[20:35] - The Internet - History, Culture and Changes 1990s - Now

[23:45] - Defining 'Enshittification'

[26:59] - The 'Walled-Garden Ecosystem' Of Big Tech (Facebook, Twitter/X, Google, etc)

[31:00] - Amazon's Trajectory of Enshittifying The Online Marketplace

[33:00] - Regulatory Lobbying, Antitrust, Copyright and IP

[42:43] - 'Social Media Is Doomed To Die' - Runaway Growth & Increased Use of Short-Form Media

[48:00] - IPO, Capital and The Consumer-Facing Burden of Information Synthesis (Thanks, SEO!)

[51:00] - RANDOM CHIRPS OF AGREEMENT FROM BASED COMRADE BIRD OUTSIDE!

[52:00] - User Feedback/Commentary

[54:51] - RIP Reddit - API Changes, The Death of Third-Party Apps & Overall Enshittification

[57:00] - UNEDITED SIGH OF EXISTENTIAL RESIGNATION!

[58:50] - The Reddit Moderator Exodus & Informational Damage Control

[64:00] - Oh Elon - X, Twitter Takeover & A Chronology of Failures, One Year On

[72:00] - Concluding Thoughts

UPDATE 14/01/2025: - NEW WEBSITE!

LINK:

https://www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog/archive-ep-18-touch-grass-aka-the-enshittification-of-the-internet

The core tenet of this podcast is around legitimising the value of the arts, interests, hobbies and leisure in today's increasingly stressful, commodified world.

There's no better example of why this matters more than ever than the absolute dumpster-fire we're faced with in terms of user experiences on social media and like, in 2023.

Join me as we explore exactly how, where and why Big Tech is becoming 'enshittified'.

Timestamps:

[0:00] - Intro/Housekeeping

[1:58] - Hobby Update! (Tabletop RPG, [7:35] Music, [11:55] Video Games)

[13:36] - Topic - Intro, Overview Discussion

[20:35] - The Internet - History, Culture and Changes 1990s - Now

[23:45] - Defining 'Enshittification'

[26:59] - The 'Walled-Garden Ecosystem' Of Big Tech (Facebook, Twitter/X, Google, etc)

[31:00] - Amazon's Trajectory of Enshittifying The Online Marketplace

[33:00] - Regulatory Lobbying, Antitrust, Copyright and IP

[42:43] - 'Social Media Is Doomed To Die' - Runaway Growth & Increased Use of Short-Form Media

[48:00] - IPO, Capital and The Consumer-Facing Burden of Information Synthesis (Thanks, SEO!)

[51:00] - RANDOM CHIRPS OF AGREEMENT FROM BASED COMRADE BIRD OUTSIDE!

[52:00] - User Feedback/Commentary

[54:51] - RIP Reddit - API Changes, The Death of Third-Party Apps & Overall Enshittification

[57:00] - UNEDITED SIGH OF EXISTENTIAL RESIGNATION!

[58:50] - The Reddit Moderator Exodus & Informational Damage Control

[64:00] - Oh Elon - X, Twitter Takeover & A Chronology of Failures, One Year On

[72:00] - Concluding Thoughts

UPDATE 14/01/2025: - NEW WEBSITE!

LINK:

https://www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog/archive-ep-18-touch-grass-aka-the-enshittification-of-the-internet

Previous Episode

Ep 17 [Topic] ADHD Awareness Pt 2 - A National Impetus for Change

In the previous episode, we explored ADHD from a more symptomatic, lived-experience perspective, particularly the struggles and frustrations commonly experienced.

Expanding from there, this episode moves into a more macro-oriented lens with a view for rationalising and strategising direct action initiatives for ADHDers, the neurodiverse and allies.

We explore neurodiversity as an overarching concept, and how research demonstrates this can be expanded across a range of conditions.

From there, we drill down into the pervasive impact ADHD has upon the Australian economy re: healthcare, disease burden and a plethora of associated costs. As well, we critique some important concerns about accessing diagnosis, and how this impacts research methodology and literature.

Finally, we touch on individual, group and community-level solutions we can begin exploring to provoke some personal change and broader direct-action!

(References will be available on the website @ innerstrengthcheck.com - post link TBA.)

TIME STAMPS:

[0:00 - 31:57] - Introduction/Neurodiversity

[31:57] - The Declining Role of Online Praxis Due To The 'Enshittification' of Tech

[34:00] - Analog Supports - Community, Psychosocial Support, Role of Hobbies and Lifestyle

[40:00 - 49:00] - Research - Biopsychosocial Factors, Methodological Concerns, Comorbidities and Literature Issues

[49:00] - Societal Costs of ADHD (Overview - Healthcare and Workforce Burden, Prevalence and Mortality Measures)

[54:30] - Specific Healthcare Statistics (Nationwide, Australia) & Service Access Impact

[57:00] - Specific Workplace Statistics (Nationwide, Australia)

[58:00] - Educational Outcomes, Carer Costs, Fiscal Losses + Justice/Crime Data

[59:00] - Incentivising Training and Diagnosis For Reduced Societal Burden

[61:00] - RANDOM CONSERVATIVE BOOMER AD INSERT!

[64:00] - What Can We **Do**? Direct Action Via Local Government/Grassroots ADHD Programs

[64:00] - RANDOM GRATUITOUS DESK-TAPPING TO EMPHASISE A POINT!

[65:00 - 67:00] - International Resources And Advocacy Groups

[68:00] - RANDOM TERRIBLE IRISH ACCENT!

[70:00] - Speaking Return On Investment to Policymakers

[73:00] - Academia: Example (LaTrobe University - Neurodiversity Project)

[74:00] - Neurodiverse Workforce Participation

[75:00] - Utilising Community Development And Informal Supports

[80:00] - Embracing Neurodivergent Strengths/Community Allegiance

[82:00] - Specific Tools - Mental Health, Apps, Bulletjournal, etc + Conclusion: Bringing It Back To Hobbies As Change Agency

UPDATE 14/01/2025: - NEW WEBSITE!

LINK:

https://www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog/archive-episodes-16-17-adhd-awareness-month-2023

Next Episode

Ep. 19 [Review] Afterbirth - 'In But Not Of' LP

A supergroup of brutal death metal luminaries, New York's Afterbirth have absolutely hit it out of the park with this one. In a time where 'progressive' death metal is starting to coagulate into a similar-sounding theme, these guys have deliberately chosen their own brutal, mesmerising path.

A unique and truly envelope-pushing LP, 'In But Not Of' is truly one of my favourite heavy albums of 2023.

If you claim to like progressive extreme metal, this is a must-listen. Seriously.

The album is out now via Willowtip Records and all major streaming platforms.

LINKS: