Airbnb in the age of self-care

Hi there. If you made it far enough to read this line, thank you for the effort. It may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but at one point we were not able to connect almost instantaneously via social media, and traveling to places we only dreamed of cost a fortune, and starting a business was a much more significant investment in the resources of time and energy.

The world that we inhabit today is arguably much larger and smaller than it has ever been thanks to advancements in technology and the emergence of the gig economy. The New Yorker describes the gig economy as the "on-demand, peer, or platform economy." Ride-share and home-share platforms such as Uber, Airbnb, Lyft, and VRBO are some of the more memorable businesses at the center of this industry.

Prior to the explostion of this industry, the infrastructure was laid down by the advent of the internet in general and social media specifically. Social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat made the allure of travel even more attractive. How else would you be able to generate posts for likes or alleviate the pain of FOMO?

What emerged could be seen as both a blessing and a curse because while we are figuratively more connected than ever, the actual interaction in physical space, sharing of social cues, and sensitivity to those outside of our direct or internet circles diminished significantly.

If it's cool with you, I would like to take a moment to write about one of the more salient examples of the perpetually shrinking and expanding world of that we live in, and its impact on social norms. AIRBNB.

Their stated mission is to help create a world where you can belong anywhere and where people can live in a place, instead of just traveling to it. As a peripheral participant in this ecosystem for several years now, I would add the following: unless you are a host because we make you money, or during a pandemic, because we need to protect our bottom line and not lose booking generated income.

The implication that more hosts can be found afterward is glaring. I won't delve into this aspect of behavioral economics in detail, but I'm definitely going to return to it at a later date. Let's just keep in mind that without hosts their business model is not nearly as lucrative, if at all.

For the sake of brevity and focus, I will be speaking more to interpersonal relations between human beings as it relates to host and guests in the Airbnb ecosystems and some indicators which might be considered behavioral red flags.

For similar litmus tests, a quick internet search for making bed psychology or shopping cart theory might help as a reference point. While the aforementioned are not absolutes, they do give insight into the ability of seemingly meaningless habits to either improve or impair not only you directly but others indirectly.

On the surface, any of the following occurrences could be brushed off, and if you believe that then you probably behave in a similar fashion in other areas of your life, condone said behavior, or have/currently exist in a fashion that will lead to negatively impacting the experience of your fellow humans.

Airbnb Test:

1)Waits until the same day of arrival to ask for early check-in

2)Agrees to pre-approved time and arrives the following day

3)Walks like they are tunneling to the earth cores with no regard for your neighbors

4)Gets defensive and/or aggressive when contacted about anything that interrupts their good time.

5) Leaves a mess without any attempt to be minimally decent or damages your belongings with either an aggressive reply or no communication at all.

Some of you might be thinking well the host gets paid, and I would simply respond that monetary transactions are not a suitable measuring stick of whether something is appropriate or good. Being paid for services rendered is the bare minimum and not license to treat your fellow human being in a manner less than what you would accept. If you happen to not agree with that sentiment, then I would say you deserve much more than that.

So next time you have the opportunity to be an Airbnb guest, just remember that even that Golden Rule, because the transaction is still an exchange. Neither you or Airbnb would be able to benefit without the home being provided and the consent of the neighborhood. And remember there is a pandemic going on; regardless of whether you believe in it or not, things are stressful enough as is.

Take care.