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Sometimes, when looking at the things that have been lying around for a long time in our lives, we probably realize that those items may be useful to others. With the development of the internet, online communities have figured out a way to generate profit from the sharing of those underused assets. Using websites and social media platforms that facilitate the buying and selling of second-hand goods, it is now easier than ever for peer-to-peer sharing activities to take place. And this is what we call sharing economy.

One of the things consumers appreciate when using or working in the sharing economy is the flexibility. It offers services to people when and where they want them. For those who don't care for traditional office work, sharing economies do not require professional working environments, so there is no need to put yourself in an atmosphere that unfits for your personality. It allows people to choose flexible atmosphere to work remotely instead of in one physical office space.

A sharing economy helps consumers to earn money by renting out underused goods or resources. For example, you can rent out a home using Airbnb, expensive tools from one's garage, cars, or even sharing the groceries before going on a holiday. All of these provide a way for items to be resold and repurposed instead of just thrown away. Therefore, it helps to reduce waste and make or save money for the provider and users.

But the sharing economy is not without criticisms. The sharing economy is developing faster than existing regulations or ongoing supervision. One downside is that in many cases there is a lack of regulation to check the products and services exchanged during these deals. Unlike formal companies, unregulated individuals do not follow certain regulations and this can lead to poorer and inconsistent quality of goods and services and a higher risk of fraud. For example, hotels are inspected to assure quality, whereas some apartments for short-term rental online are not. The digitally-driven peer-to-peer nature of the sharing economy services sometimes doesn't match well with certain regulations, which on the other hand, helps keep the provided services more affordable.

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Another problem is related to safety concerns. Most sharing economy platforms are based on trust, as well as ratings by guests and hosts. But sometimes it happens that one uses a car, or rents an apartment and it is totally different than one imagines. After all, we have heard some unpleasant tales of guests and hosts.

The sharing economy definitely has its lovers and haters. Many are not ready to switch to that model, where others are already using more than four platforms in their daily lives.