SabirHaque

Why does being wrong feel so uncomfortable?
This reel looks at Cognitive Dissonance, Motivated Reasoning, and why online arguments so quickly become personal.
We often imagine ourselves as rational people looking for truth. But when our worldview is challenged, the mind often moves into self-preservation. It starts defending the version of ourselves that our beliefs help protect.
That is why admitting “I was wrong” feels so difficult online.
But in a media environment full of fake news, outrage, and constant certainty, that sentence may be one of the strongest acts of media literacy.

This is the final part of my ensh*ttification series. In this reel, I move from doomscrolling and brain rot toward the bigger question: how do we actually build an exit from platforms that are designed to keep us locked in?

Why your favorite apps are turning to... 💩
Ever feel like your favorite app is holding you hostage? 📱⛓️ That’s not a glitch—it’s Ensh*ttification.
Coined by technologist Cory Doctorow, this term explains the predictable 3-stage pattern of platform decay:
Stage 1: The Honeymoon (User-First) – Platforms use venture capital to give you a great, subsidized, friction-free experience just to build a habit and lock you in.
Stage 2: The Hostage (Business-First) – Once users are locked in, the platform pivots to selling your attention to the highest bidder (advertisers and sellers).
Stage 3: The Shakedown (Platform-First) – Now that everyone is dependent, the platform squeezes both sides to extract maximum value for its shareholders.
It didn't accidentally get worse—it was always the plan. It’s time to Fix Your Focus and see the digital game for what it really is.
Which app has you in the "Hostage Phase" right now? Let me know in the comments. 👇
*ttification