‘BorrowMyDoggy.com’: Rethinking Peer‐To‐Peer Exchange for Genuine Sharing

Abstract

This article re‐examines what constitutes genuine sharing in peer‐to‐peer collaborative transactions by contrasting a pet owner‐borrower matching initiative to other enterprises such as Uber and Airbnb. It argues that aims of public spiritedness and community building through interactions are essential for sustaining peer‐to‐peer collaborations. When money is the focal point of exchange, the collaborative relationship is motivated by profit making rather than goals of sustainability, well‐being or good citizenship. Interactions that create new kinds of connections within communities (rather than replacing traditional connections with cheaper or more accessible ones) are more likely to generate a genuine sharing ethos. The chief implication of the case study is that collaborators need to think carefully about objectives and means of exchange. Capturing new kinds of productive relationships, which are not overly reliant on the exchange of money, may contribute to genuine exchange and enhance community relations, leading to greater cultural citizenship.