Do Peer-to-Peer Marketplaces Promote a Shut-In Economy?

If you can get what you want, when you want, delivered at your doorstep, why would you ever leave your home? In his podcast, “The Sharing Economy Begets a Shut-in Economy,” Brian Solis makes this argument.

But does this “on-demand” economy create a population of hermits? It all depends on your perspective. If you look at the economy as a stagnant pond, then the new model seems destructive, even radical. But once you hone in on the entrepreneurs earning a living, a second income or even making six to seven figures on Etsy, it becomes clear that the economy is now extremely fluid and those who are staying afloat are adapting to the changing current.

According to Solis, this current is drowning the workforce in unregulated standards. However, his guest, Chris makes a good point: is this the fault of the sharing economy or an effect of the latest recession? This would mean that  peer-to-peer marketplaces are creating opportunities for those who were displaced during the collapse.

Of course, we agree that workers should be compensated for their time and expertise. However, the collaborative economy doesn’t necessarily mean lower wages, it means helping people outsource jobs so they can focus on what’s important to them. Solis claims that the sharing economy promotes a new generation of workers who aren’t making as much as they would based on their career.

In opposition, what many entrepreneurs are saying is that they enjoy setting their own schedule and building their business. Solis’s question shouldn’t be whether or not a biologist is slumming it as an Uber driver, but if his income is helping him support his family by creating a business following the recession. The collaborative economy offers workers the chance to be entrepreneurs with wider access to opportunities.

 Consider the benefits of the collaborative economy:

• More time to focus on personal priorities.

• Increased economic opportunities.

• The ability to be your own boss.

• Options to optimize your time.

• A wider array of minimum wage jobs.

Whether or not the collaborative economy creates a population of shut-ins is not the real question; the real question is how does this marketplace fuel innovative ways of doing business and how can entrepreneurs take full advantage of its benefits?