A relatively new phenomenon is “Collaboration Consumption” technology and platforms sprouting up all over the world. And with nearly 3 billion (2.93 billion) of the world’s 7.3 billion people already connected to the Internet, the trends is picking up steam.I
What Is Collaborative Consumption?
Collaborative Consumption and collaborative technology represent a change in individual ownership and consumption patterns, replacing them with new forms of business, ownership and stakeholder collaboration. These emerging forms of living and working are now possible because of the Internet, new technology, portable devices, mobile phones, social media, cloud computing, and more. All of these technologies have characteristics in common: they are greener, more efficient, less expensive (because of all the sharing) and more powerful than previous ways of human living and interacting. The following chart shows the difference in focus between the “old world” and the “new”. Examples of Collaborative Consumption and Collaborative Technology include:
- bike sharing systems: numerous major cities, ie: Boston, New York, Montréal
- peer to peer car sharing: ZipCar, Relay Rides, Rent a Ride
- crowdsourced private jet travel – NetJets
- automobile renting and sharing apps: Uber, Lyft, UberPool
- barter apps – Bright Neighbor
- stuff sharing apps – Unstash
- community car clubs – Co-Wheels
- meal sharing apps – Homefed (go to someone’s home to enjoy their home cooked meal)
- online bike sharing communities – Liquid
- collaborative caregiving apps – Standwith
- wifi-sharing app – Open Garden
- social media “couch crashing” Airbnb
- retirement house swap – LinkedAge
- free stuff finder – Ditto
- foreign home rental service – Tomareru Tourist Home Rental
- storage sharing and lending programs – Roost
- communal car businesses – Getaround
This is just the beginning but the trend is clear. If humans can learn to share they can spend less, pollute less and enjoy living more.
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References and related links:
- Collaborative Consumption
- Collaborative Consumption | Coop.org
- Infographic Of The Day: A Tour Guide To Collaborative Consumption | Co.Design | business + design
