a thought: so-called 'photo editing' is another step towards the complete devaluation of the act of making culture in favour of consuming it.

It seems to me that a big part of what these programs do is continue to push the economic value of creating towards zero, while increasing the value of consuming. It aims to optimize out of existence the process of drawing, painting, stenciling, etc to the point where all creative acts are commodified and consumption is the primary mode of interaction in order to make something. This isn't new, but it certainly expands and intensifies this aspect of neoliberal society to an extreme.