Welcome to Carb Load – a regular collection of my thoughts on technology, cycling, food, fashion, flowers, and whatever else I can throw in that catches my attention.
This issue:
The eCommerce-ification of entertainment and social media
Fashion and shopping apps that feel like a breath of fresh air
Quick hits, fits, and bits
Fall brings back memories of watching back-to-school commercials, enraptured by the indie soundtracks and new clothes. The more I think about it, were Kohl’s and Macy’s back-to-school commercials the New York Fashion Week of our childhoods?
I had a game where I picked what I liked from the ads and put it in a magical closet that lived in my head. (It had a closet carousel, like Clueless.)
Years later, the mythical closet in my head has found its home on the Internet, an endless digital shopping, infinite in scale and endlessly open.
Sometimes that’s creatively thrilling!
More often, it feels exhausting. Anything that can be content inevitably becomes advertising potential.
The ouroboros of entertainment and commerce
We're living in the age of "doomshopping"—a toxic blend of overconsumption and algorithmic fatigue where online shopping has lost all its joy — thanks to relentless convergence of entertainment and commerce that's turned every platform into an ad delivery system, and every user into a potential ad unit.
This happens on both social media and ecommerce platforms, turning into a race to the bottom.
Social media platforms try to add commerce, monetizing an existing audience initially there for enrichment and entertainment. Instagram evolved from a simple photo-sharing app into a sprawling shopping mall where every influencer becomes a storefront and every post has the potential to be shoppable, complete with the Instagram Shop product.
TikTok transformed from goofy lip-sync videos into an endless feed of entertainment, backed by TikTok Shop, incentivising creators to hawk products in hopes of pleasing the algorithm and going viral.
Both Meta and TikTok now rely heavily on AI-assisted advertising to maximize conversion rates and satisfy their manufacturer partners, using machine learning to optimize ad placement, targeting, and even creative content in real-time.
On the other hand. eCommerce platforms bolt on entertainment, hoping you will continue to stay and buy more. Amazon’s emphasis on livestreams and product placement via its entertainment arm are a great example here. The shopping experience becomes increasingly gamified and engaging, turning customers into content creators through reviews, unboxing videos, and affiliate programs. Large American commerce companies, like Etsy, are racing to emulate the entertainment-first models pioneered by Asian platforms like Taobao Live, Douyin, Pinduoduo, Coupang, and Alibaba—integrating group buying, livestream shopping, and social commerce features that blur the lines between discovery and purchase even further.
When these categories collapse, everyone is worse off — destinations for creatives become soulless advertising platforms, while eComm platforms chase views and user attention.
The enshittification trap
This convergence leads inevitably to "enshittification" (coined by Cory Doctorow). Platforms start delightful, then progressively squeeze users and businesses until the original promise—entertainment, connection, discovery—gets broken. Even Paul Krugman agrees – this isn't just anecdotal; it's economic reality. Once network effects lock people in, extraction becomes the only growth strategy left.
The creator economy exemplifies this shift, as we are incentivised to turn our authentic recommendations into sophisticated affiliate ecosystems.
COVID accelerated this transformation dramatically. As both eCommerce and entertainment surged, the opportunity for convergence became irresistible. I saw this firsthand building Wish Clips—a shoppable video feed that preceded TikTok Shop. Live shopping platforms like Whatnot and Flip also emerged during this period. The writing was on the wall: TikTok's explosive engagement metrics made the entertainment-commerce collision inevitable.
Signs of resistance
We're already seeing pushback against this trend – I think that even the flocking of folks to Substack, away from Instagram and other social media platforms, feels telling.
The rise of resale commerce is another sign of resistance—platforms like The RealReal and apps like Beni prioritize sustainability over endless consumption. Brands like Cuyana built entire identities around "fewer, better" philosophies.
But while online retail purchases are cratering , our entertainment consumption continues expanding—and with it, more aggressive commercialization of our attention.
Three forces for healthier eCommerce
So how do we resist the gravitational pull of eCommercification? I see three counterforces emerging:
1. Recreating the group chat of recs
We're craving authentic discovery that comes from real people, not algorithms. The magic happens when we see what others genuinely love—through verified purchases, actual closets, and honest curation. Less influencer marketing; more peer-to-peer inspiration that feels like an online group chat or forum.
2. Bring out the receipts
People trust recommendations when they know you’ve spent your hard-earned money on it, no commission included. When platforms verify actual purchases, show real receipts, or catalog genuine ownership, they earn user trust and retention. Product discovery and inspiration have a higher chance of success.
3. Showing off items we already own
Perhaps the most radical act is finding pleasure in our existing possessions. This shifts the focus from acquisition to appreciation, and pushing back against the ever-rotating trend cycle.
The apps I use to shop happier
These forces point toward something healthier: shopping that's entertaining without being extractive or feeling like we are submitting to the hellscape that is our Internet. These are the apps I’ve been enjoying.
Locker
What it is: A Chrome extension + app to save and curate any product online.
Why I like it: Locker has solved the perennial problem of keeping track of all of your online shopping links. I used to use OneTab and a Notes app, before beta testing Locker when they first started. Their mission is to also democratize curation and affiliate marketing (vs. others in the industry who require follower counts and cater to influencers).
Who it’s for: People who keep a Notes app of what they want to buy; the one friend who everyone asks for recommendation.
Smartest tech move: Perfected the save-and-curate UX, then added in common-sense monetization features, such as price drop notifications.
Nines
What it is: A daily fit-pic app where outfits get posted and ranked.
Why I like it: It doubles as an outfit diary. When I’m stuck, I scroll my own archive for inspiration. It gamifies getting dressed, which I need in the depths of Michigan winter.
Who it’s for: Fans of Hot or Not, or anyone who with a magpie-like tendency for mirror selfies.
Smartest tech move: Leveraged Apple’s AI background removal so posting takes seconds and feels like a natural part of my routine.
Pickle
What it is: Peer-to-peer closet rentals, often with local pickup.
Why I like it: It solves my bad habit of buying special-occasion dresses I don’t need. Renting scratches the novelty itch without adding clutter. I also like browsing on the platform and discovering new brands.
Who it’s for: People who buy “just one nice thing” every month and regret it later.
Smartest tech move: Pickup-enabled rentals, a model that thrives in dense cities like New York.
Selleb | Selleb Sisters
What it is: A social feed of verified purchases, powered by receipts.
Why I like it: It’s voyeuristic in the best way—like scrolling Venmo histories—but also honest, because receipts don’t lie.
Who it’s for: Lurkers who want inspiration; people who love to see and be seen.
Smartest tech move: Seamless receipt ingestion that auto-generates product images.
Indyx | INDEXED by Indyx
What it is: A photographic catalog of your closet.
Why I like it: Uploading makes me pause and think: do I already own this? It’s a digital Polyvore board of my real wardrobe.
Who it’s for: Patient archivists, or anyone who gets joy from cataloging.
Smartest tech move: AI background removal + stylist-as-a-service features.
Merazine
What it is: Create your own avatar and dress it up with real clothes from a marketplace of indie, “cool-girl” brands.
Why I like it: It feels like MyScene for grown-ups: playful, experimental, discovery-driven. Dressing up my avatar with real clothes scratches a dopamine itch.
Who it’s for: People who want shopping to feel like dress-up again.
Smartest tech move: Styling and interacting with your avatar as the product discovery engine.
Quick hits
Sandy’s Boutique has the best selection of clothing in Ann Arbor, and just got their fall collection in. I got an incredible dark-wash denim jacket and A-line skirt from The Great, one of my favorite brands for takes on American classics.
Always gift someone flowers! I hate when people leave my house empty-handed. I freelanced for Wildscape Floral last week, and Chelsea was kind enough to give me some of her dahlias to take home. I gifted them to a friend, who sent me this photo.
My favorite outfit from the past week was inspired by unearthing my fall closet – these Stuart Weitzman 50-50s I got from Elliott Consigment and quilted jacket from The Frankie Shop are on repeat. Someone delightfully catcalled me while walking through downtown Ann Arbor and said, “you walk that runway!”. Hell yeah, I will!
If you enjoyed reading this and want more, you can find more of my work on the following:
Hotel wrangler, code pusher, demo queen, & co-founder: Whimsy
Flower slinging: Wave Floral
Algorithm worshipper: TikTok
You have such a good Selleb profile wow