Up in the Air!—The Popularity of Renting Online
—James Baron
In this age of social networks and online communities, the culture of sharing has become more widespread. People are sharing photos, news articles, music, and now, even their homes. The trend of couchsurfing, for example, took off when Web sites began helping hosts and travelers from around the world connect with each other.
These days, the online company Airbnb has taken the idea of home-sharing a step further. It lets travelers rent rooms and apartments directly from hosts. Travelers search Airbnb's Web site for properties based on location, size, price, and other features. In many cases, renting a property costs less than staying in a hotel. Hosts benefit by earning some extra money to help them meet the rising costs of living.
Besides saving and making money, Airbnb offers other advantages. Staying in someone's home, travelers can gain a deeper understanding of local life. By letting travelers stay in their homes, hosts meet people from other places and get to know other cultures. All in all, Airbnb seems to offer a win-win solution to people who tend to value genuine experiences over material objects.
共享經濟——歡迎到我家
在這個社交網路和線上社群的時代，共享文化已變得更加普遍。人們分享照片、新聞文章、音樂，而現在，甚至是他們的家。例如，當網站開始幫屋主和來自世界各地的旅人相互連結時，「沙發旅行」的潮流就開始蓬勃發展。
近來，線上公司Airbnb將分享住家的想法更進一步發展。它讓旅客直接跟屋主租房間和公寓。旅客根據地點、房間大小、價錢還有其他特點來搜尋Airbnb網站上的房產。在很多情況下，租房子的花費比住旅館低。屋主藉由賺些外快來幫忙支付不斷攀升的生活開銷而受益。
除了省錢和賺錢，Airbnb還有其他優點。旅客住在別人家能對當地的生活有更深入的了解。透過讓旅客住在他們家裡，屋主會遇到來自其他地方的人，進而了解其他的文化。總而言之，Airbnb似乎提供往往重視真實體驗勝過物質的人一個雙贏的解決方法。
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