Social network Reddit recently began blocking mobile visitors to its website while pushing them to download the official Reddit app, and it's fair to say that the move is not going down well with users. If you visit reddit.com on your iPhone today, you may see a new popup that can't be dismissed, asking you to "get the app to keep using Reddit".
The enshitification continues.
We need to stop using Reddit, WhatsApp, and YouTube… but we can’t.
That’s the real problem. These platforms stopped being “apps” a long time ago. They’re infrastructure now. Reddit is search results, tech support, product reviews, niche communities. WhatsApp is family, work, school, doctors, landlords. YouTube is tutorials, education, news clips, repairs, entertainment, background noise.
You can quit a bad product. You can’t easily quit a social standard.
And that’s exactly why they get away with so much. The cost of leaving isn’t just losing features; it’s losing access to people, knowledge, and convenience. Alternatives exist, but the network effect keeps dragging everyone back.
So yeah, we should stop using them. But realistically, the better first step is reducing dependence: use RSS, forums, Signal, PeerTube/Invidious, proper documentation, personal websites, mailing lists, and local backups wherever possible.
Not because purity is achievable, but because total dependence is dangerous.
Agree. Sometimes I click on Reddit threads in my search results. I’ve had to use WhatsApp recently to stay in touch with my dad. I keep Meta accounts so that I can (very rarely) keep up with family.
None of them are things I use daily or post to (other than WhatsApp convo). The accounts have been pretty well dead for at least the last 3 years.
I host my own services, including a Mastodon instance. I talk up fediverse alternatives and FOSS apps…but I can’t even get my mom to understand that she doesn’t need to bring an SD card to Walmart to get photos. I’m certainly not going to push her to Signal or Matrix just to talk to me.
Stopped using reddit years ago.
Never once used WhatsApp, and refuse to.
Same with a bunch of other social media sites.
YouTube - only use it to download high quality Vida using other tools, like Grayjay, Newpipe, and YT-DL.
Depending on where you live, doing so is completely feasible… or social and economic suicide.
In Brazil at least every bloody body assumes WhatsApp, including your doctor, multiple shops, and even bloody bank services. It’s exactly like @Dsklnsadog@lemmy.dbzer0.com said — shite’s infrastructure now.
I expect it to be like this in other countries, too.
What’s this we shit?
Whatsapp is just a messaging service? That can be easily replaced by phones in-built messaging service or am i missing something?
It’s used by a lot of social groups where I am and it’s hard to avoid if you want to join any kind of community. Other stuff could easily replace it but the inertia is strong.
But Whatsapp works based on a phone number or at least it can send messages to others by finding them through a phone number. So technically it should be possible to replace it without others even noticing.
Whatsapp is a platform, not just a replacement messaging app. You can look someone up by phone of Facebook too, but that doesn’t mean you can choose how to message them or that they could receive a message without using the platform. Or maybe I’m not quite getting what you’re saying.
I’m not that familiar with Whatsapp, so i don’t fully know it’s capabilities.
The only time I’ve used it was through a phone number to send the other person a few work related pictures and by the limited description of friends used as an replacement messaging app when traveling abroad.
Though yeah if it has something more behind it. It’s more understandable why it’s harder to replace it.
Your post hits the nail on the head too well to be left unnoticed, here. My goodness, this is a message that needs repeating.
Isn’t it striking how today’s essential infasctructure is owned by private equity, and always run for profit. Everything we depend on is a paid service.