The sharing economy doesn’t work. It was never meant to.

The so-called “sharing economy” emerged about a decade ago, promising to transform business and daily life. Advocates pitched utopian visions of empowered entrepreneurs making extra cash by renting out spare rooms, cars, and other unused assets. Magazine covers trumpeted “The Shared Economy” as an innovative new business model that would transform the world. Venture capitalists poured billions into trendy startups like Airbnb, Uber, and WeWork. But years later, the lofty rhetoric around the sharing economy rings hollow. The promised benefits for workers and consumers have failed to materialize in many cases, while tech investors have made a killing. Behind the feel-good sheen of “sharing,” the sharing economy looks more and more like a circus trick to enrich Silicon Valley. <h1>The Hype Machine</h1> Like any good circus act, the sharing economy depends on razzle-dazzle to distract the audience from peering behind the curtain. Tech boosters have deployed sophisticated PR strategies to sell rosy visions of progress and convenience. Rhetoric about “empowerment” features prominently. We’re told that individuals can become micro-entrepreneurs by renting belongings or providing rides through platforms like Airbnb and Uber. Workers enjoy “independence,” “flexibility,” and “freedom.” Supposedly, anyone with a spare room or car can now control their economic destiny. This empowerment narrative taps into deep-seated cultural myths about autonomy, individualism, and upward mobility. But tellingly, we hear far less about the people providing the rooms, cars, and other “shared” assets. That’s because the empowerment being sold is largely an illusion. Most workers earn very little, lack basic protections, and have almost no control over the platforms that connect them with customers. <a href="https://joanwestenberg.medium.com/the-sharing-economy-doesnt-work-it-was-never-meant-to-4a59d0709e8">Read More</a>