Social Media, the Gig Economy, and the Future of Work
The gig economy and social media are closely related. The two have grown side by side, and both have forever changed the way we work, live, and play. But has the internet brought us together or isolated us? It seems that despite being connected by a web of technology, we are segregated. Social media is siloed. Gig workers are on their own. Big Data knows more about us than we know about each other. Perhaps there’s a future of work in which technology can bring us back together?
The Birth of a Modern Workforce
The explosion of the gig economy is congruent with the rise of social media. CraigsList and Facebook were the early pioneers of the changing digital landscape. When the recession hit in 2008, it spawned the rapid growth of freelancing apps like TaskRabbit and Uber and online storefronts like Shopify and Magento. People were searching for new ways to make money, and the internet answered. And as social media began to proliferate, so too did this new form of business. Entrepreneurs realized that the social media model could serve a much greater purpose than connecting long lost friends. It could be used to push sales.
What we’re seeing today are the early stages of a complete re-imagining of the workforce. Even in the last decade, social media and the gig economy have changed greatly. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have become optimized for business, and online freelancing platforms have gone from a way to find a few odd jobs to flourishing ecosystems that offer significant income potential. Roughly 34% of the U.S. workforce are freelancers, and by 2020, that number will jump another 10%. If you haven’t noticed businesses scrambling to prepare for the modern workforce already, you sure will soon.
Big Data was the natural next step in the growing digital economy. At the moment, we’re still on the cusp of being able to truly grasp the implications of such vast amounts of data. We’ve only just started to use AI to analyze online behavior and target our marketing efforts. The possibilities are endless. Just think about how much content social media produces in a single day. Imagine if all of this data was aggregated, cataloged, and made accessible. Well, that’s just what the founders of Molly did.
Cultivating impactful experiences for new hires to ensure a positive employee experience from day 1.
6 年Great article. I’d also add the new dimension of MLM companies. I remember my mom having Avon or pampered chef parties at home. These are now virtual ... which ties into our ability to better expand our social networks outside of our zipcode. I feel like every day I’m added to a new “online party” but t I can do it in pjs without needing a babysitter... so maybe I’m willing to spend a bit more on the party.