Dancing with the Woman in Red: An Anatomy of Algorithmic Abuse From Enshittification to Cognitive Servitude

Fuente: Zenodo
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Colmenero-Fernández, Alicia
Format: Recurso digital
Language:English
Published: Zenodo 2026
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866901185181515776
author Colmenero-Fernández, Alicia
author_facet Colmenero-Fernández, Alicia
contents <div>Abstract (English)</div> <div>This essay examines the structural parallels between Big Tech's relationship with users and the clinical patterns of narcissistic abuse. Drawing on Cory Doctorow's concept of "enshittification" and psychological frameworks of abuse cycles, the author argues that digital platforms have evolved from tools to pathological relationships. The analysis distinguishes between the dopamine-driven addiction model of social media and the deeper oxytocin-based attachment created by generative AI, suggesting the latter poses unprecedented risks to cognitive autonomy. Through case studies of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, the essay documents the predictable trajectory of platform degradation. The work concludes by proposing strategies for "digital sovereignty," including the Grey Rock method, local AI deployment, and the POSSE protocol, as forms of resistance against algorithmic manipulation.</div> <div><span>Keywords:</span> algorithmic abuse, enshittification, digital sovereignty, narcissistic abuse cycle, oxytocin, platform economics, cognitive servitude, Big Tech, AI ethics, data sovereignty</div>
format Recurso digital
id zenodo_https___doi_org_10_5281_zenodo_18253846
institution Zenodo
language eng
publishDate 2026
publisher Zenodo
record_format zenodo
spellingShingle Dancing with the Woman in Red: An Anatomy of Algorithmic Abuse From Enshittification to Cognitive Servitude
Colmenero-Fernández, Alicia
<div>Abstract (English)</div> <div>This essay examines the structural parallels between Big Tech's relationship with users and the clinical patterns of narcissistic abuse. Drawing on Cory Doctorow's concept of "enshittification" and psychological frameworks of abuse cycles, the author argues that digital platforms have evolved from tools to pathological relationships. The analysis distinguishes between the dopamine-driven addiction model of social media and the deeper oxytocin-based attachment created by generative AI, suggesting the latter poses unprecedented risks to cognitive autonomy. Through case studies of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, the essay documents the predictable trajectory of platform degradation. The work concludes by proposing strategies for "digital sovereignty," including the Grey Rock method, local AI deployment, and the POSSE protocol, as forms of resistance against algorithmic manipulation.</div> <div><span>Keywords:</span> algorithmic abuse, enshittification, digital sovereignty, narcissistic abuse cycle, oxytocin, platform economics, cognitive servitude, Big Tech, AI ethics, data sovereignty</div>
title Dancing with the Woman in Red: An Anatomy of Algorithmic Abuse From Enshittification to Cognitive Servitude
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18253846