A recent article in America Magazine by Nathan Schneider discusses Catholicism's take on the sharing economy.
"Now, companies like Uber (for cars), Airbnb (for housing), and TaskRabbit (for services) are selling sharing back to us—for no small price. While these platforms create new conveniences, they are threatening hard-fought-for worker protections like taxi and hotel unions. They are also turning into monopolistic mega-firms that control reams of data about our lives that even the worst village gossip could never get hold of. With whom will they be sharing that?"
Like many other critics of the sharing economy, it seems like they are stuck on the term "sharing economy." Some people feel that the the sharing economy should be about the redistribution of wealth or assets. While others view it as a movement where unused assets are mobilized.
We see the sharing economy as an economic movement where innovators disrupt old, slow-moving industries. Certainly there will be hiccups along the way, but we see innovation and entrepreneurship as a force for good.
What do you think?
A recent article in America Magazine by Nathan Schneider discusses Catholicism's take on the sharing economy.