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

Abstract (English)

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.

Keywords: algorithmic abuse, enshittification, digital sovereignty, narcissistic abuse cycle, oxytocin, platform economics, cognitive servitude, Big Tech, AI ethics, data sovereignty