We’re following up from Ali B’s post on sharing economies (in case you missed it) to bring you another look at a new trend that’s popped up in the 21st Century, collaborative consumption. It’s a small step to keeping us socially and culturally relevant in a fast-paced world!
As Jeremy Rifkin’s The Zero Marginal Cost (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) demonstrates, “collaborative consumption” is really just a fancy term for sharing, swapping, bartering, lending and renting, a full-service sharing economy that could change the way we think about our financial futures. There are a host of business models popping up that offer consumers the benefit of ownership without the burden of having to own something. Just think what that could do for our wallets!
WiseTribe loves the concept. Collaboration is in our DNA. As we reach a certain age where we’re over just owning “stuff,” we think there is enormous benefit to be had by coming together to participate in this trend that’s just beginning to take off. Wanna get in on the ground floor of this 21st century phenomena? Already, apps like Uber and CouchSurfing make it that much easier for us to share the wealth around and rely on each other for services that might have been prohibitively expensive for many.
The sharing economy has already placed more power in the hands of consumers and workers in various industries from hospitality to computer gaming. Could this signal some major economic renewal the world over? Write in your comments below and become apart of the conversation here at WiseTribe. How do you think collaborative consumption will change life in the 21st century?
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Jacqueline Botting is the founder and a contributing writer to WiseTribe. The idea for WiseTribe came to her while she was working for the Government of Ireland helping Irish companies sell software and services to the US financial and information security sectors. Selling and marketing technology and media for start-ups and Fortune 1000s had been her thing until she was inspired by her vision for WiseTribe. She’s a proponent of owning less to live more and believes greater contemplative practices in our daily lives and social institutions make our world a better place. Jacqueline returned to FL when her mother had a stroke in 2013. She is now living in Boca Raton, and excited to co-create WiseTribe in her home State. Connect with Jacqueline on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google + or Facebook.
