In the previous article, we learned what disruptive technology means and how it can affect our lives. Now, let’s take a closer look at those effects. As the title suggests, this time the topic is the economy.
Let’s start with a very classic example. The richest 10% of the world owns about 75% of global wealth. The top 1% alone is richer than the remaining 50% of the world combined.
So what does this actually tell us?
First: It shows the gap created by capitalist thinking.
Second: It shows that many of the key positions are already owned.
This situation is almost identical in the cities we live in. There is no collective valuation. Imagine 100 houses and 1,000 people living in a city. Fifty of them have money and want to buy houses. Normally, that would mean two houses per person. But two individuals, because they are extremely wealthy, buy 30 houses each. Now the remaining 48 people can’t even get one house.
There are still 1,000 people in the city. Children grow up and want to own a home, can they? No. So what happens next? Someone with money builds a new building. Housing supply increases. When all 1,000 people can access housing, housing loses its value.
Meanwhile, those first two people have already become gods.
This is how traditional capitalism works (an extremely simplified and poorly explained version), but it doesn’t stop there. These people also provide employment. Since people no longer live in villages and earn more money, they feel happy. They look at their managers and wonder what the difference is. Everyone is educated now, so they want to educate their children too, so they can become “important people” like them.
The child studies, becomes somewhat successful. Then they look again: the more you own, the more wealth accumulates. For some, it’s inherited. They also buy into the American Dream, investing everything into houses and cars. Because the secret is stability, economic security, and passing ownership from generation to generation to create value. Life is spent managing loans and it works. When retirement comes, they receive more. Then they pass it on. Their child starts three steps ahead.
This is the middle-class dream of the system.
The boss is happy, the worker is happy, everyone is happy. Job security, saving money, living for retirement, investing in education, constant debt planning, never-ending loans.
But today, no one is happy anymore.
Because the middle-class dream is gone—or it has changed shape.
The Rental Economy
The middle class’s idea of success through ownership and social status is over. In its place, rental economies have emerged. Generations raised with traditional values—believing education would make them “big people” were pushed into disappointment and depression.
There are many reasons for this. One of them is urbanization. Rural populations are shrinking, while cities are overcrowded. This creates a new kind of struggle. Supply cannot keep up with demand. Add global warming and regional demand pressures, and home ownership becomes nearly impossible in many medium and large cities.
Even if you manage to own a home, operational costs and taxes make it difficult. In developing and fragile, construction-driven countries like Turkey, the old system still partially works—though not like before. At the very least, the idea of “I’ll buy a house and a car when I retire” is over. That’s how we can observe the change.
Another, and in my opinion the biggest, reason is the accessibility provided by technology. Accessibility and information sharing have brought cultural change with them. Social behaviors and expectations have shifted.
People no longer seek stability; instead, they seek experiences. They begin to see ownership as a burden, because the lives they see are different. Thanks to technology and sharing, they can access many things they could never reach on their own. When everything changes so fast, buying something and staying fixed becomes meaningless. What you buy often loses value instead of creating it.
Financial disadvantages have turned into advantages. Digital disruption has created new opportunities.
Through digitalization, a freer, more flexible, and more sustainable economy is emerging. Trust between individuals increases, creating a trust-based economy. Using things only when needed instead of owning them helps people save more money while also improving quality of life.
Access to new things is always open. Money that would have gone into loans can now flow into alternatives that improve life quality. At the same time, individuals can generate income and create business models without capital.
On the other hand, this also leads to a neo-feudal structure a form of global feudalism. As technology companies grow excessively, they buy everything and gain power comparable to states. Economic mobility decreases. Inheritance becomes more important, and individuals are hit harder by economic crises because they don’t own anything.
Consumption increases, adding environmental damage alongside opportunities. Short-term thinking dominates. Dependency on technology creates security and accessibility risks.
Rent, Rent, Rent
The rental economy is not limited to housing. The entire subscription model is part of it.
Housing
Alternatives like Airbnb are replacing traditional housing. In long-term options, you can live like a tenant without dealing with anything related to the property. This also creates opportunities for the provider.
You might think the homeowner wins but tenants can also offer such services with permission. Property management has emerged as a new field. People manage others’ homes or rent out a room in their own home. Opportunities keep expanding.
Transportation
The best example is Uber. It’s not just a taxi alternative; it also allows drivers to run their own business. When you can reach anywhere at any time, why own a car? Car-sharing platforms are becoming popular. You use a car only when you need it, no maintenance, no ownership, and you get access to vehicles you’d never own yourself.
Airlines, train companies, and bus companies now offer subscription models. Monthly payments turn into advantages if you travel frequently.
Scooters and electric bikes in micro-mobility services are also clear examples of the rental economy.
Furniture & Workspaces
You need a place to work. You can’t buy a building. You don’t want to deal with maintenance. You can’t afford furniture.
So what do you do?
You rent a co-working space.
The biggest advantage is that you don’t have to deal with anything. Another advantage is working alongside people with a similar mindset, potential future partners.
Meeting room rentals and equipment rentals are also becoming popular, offering new opportunities especially for freelancers and independent workers.
Another example comes from nanotechnology. Hobby electronics platforms like Arduino and Raspberry Pi are accessible, but nanoelectronics is not. You can’t access million euro machines. In the US, some labs offer public access days where you can temporarily use large laboratories for your ideas.
Entertainment
Streaming platforms give us access to films, series, and documentaries anytime and we can leave anytime. You can also rent or buy specific content.
Similarly, technology stores offer party speakers, gaming consoles, and cameras for rent. You don’t have to buy them. This will become even more normal in the coming years.
Applications
A small note on mobile apps: almost all apps are part of the rental economy. Basic use is free; advanced features require renting monthly, weekly, or lifetime. You only pay when you need them.
Closing
Technology is fundamentally transforming the economic order. It completely reshapes habits and traditional perspectives.
Urban life becomes more collective and economical. Sharing reduces overproduction, waste, and resource use. Changing work habits open doors for low-capital business opportunities. For example, the e-commerce market is expected to reach $473 million by 2025.
Another key point is the rise of trusted communities. Even the largest tech giants are moving in this direction. Volunteering and participation in local politics are becoming more important than ever.
The rental economy is an unavoidable transformation. As IoT, blockchain, and digital platforms spread, shared assets become more reliable and accessible.
Unlike previous generations, experience matters more than ownership. While this carries consumerism risks, it also creates opportunities for empathetic, connected, and globally minded generations. Conservative ideas are slowly fading. Politics is also affected. Since we are in a transition phase, shifting trends are normal.
Sustainability will become the core philosophy of the rental economy. Awareness of climate impact increases every year. Supply chains are already changing, from overproduction and storage to demand, based manufacturing. Warehouses between storefronts and factories are disappearing, which is an advantage for many businesses.
Luxury access has also changed. It used to be unreachable; now it’s accessible as long as you can afford temporary access. I don’t love this, it feels like a more brutal form of capitalism, but in terms of accessibility, it’s positive. Status through ownership will change completely in the long run. While Turkey may be moving backward in this sense, globally we are returning to valuing knowledge, hobbies, and art. Ownership is losing meaning.
Finally, the rental economy dissolves borders. Access beyond national boundaries is no longer a major issue. Mobility for living, working, and traveling continues to increase.
So think again:
Is it more logical and economical to spend your life trying to own everything and resist change or to adapt?
Like every innovation, the rental economy brings new problems alongside benefits. Still, in terms of democratization, global awareness, and a fairer social order, it clearly creates fast and positive change.
bahadirhancicek 
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