Community In The Digital Age: Our New Neighborhood

The rise of social media and technology has changed who we can consider our neighbor. Neighbors were once the people who lived on your block or in the house next to yours, but connections through technology create a global community of neighbors. In On! The Future of Now, Leah Busque, founder of TaskRabbit, tells a touching story of the way that two mothers across the country connected through TaskRabbit, helping a “neighbor” when they needed it most.

Though someone halfway across the world may not be the best person to borrow a cup of sugar from, the connections that come from new neighbors can be incredibly valuable.  “We’re giving new generations that have been brought up on the internet a new way of building neighborhoods and building communities,” Leah writes, “and redefining what that means in this day and age.” Leah illustrates the power of the web to help us connect and engage in community in truly meaningful ways.

*This post is part of a series highlighting personal stories and key themes from our new book, On! The Future of Now. Order your copy of On! The Future of now here. Proceeds to support Charity: Water.

About Leah Busque

Leah Busque is the Founder and Chief Product Officer at TaskRabbit, Inc, which was founded in 2008. The site allows users to outsource tasks to people in their neighborhood.

About On! The Future of Now

Published in partnership with Nokia and curated by Toby Daniels and Craig Hepburn, On! The Future of Now is a collection of essays and personal stories from leading thinkers, including best-selling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin; Cindy Gallop, founder of Make Love Not Porn; Jonah Peretti, founder and CEO of BuzzFeed and Leah Busque, founder of TaskRabbit. On! The Future of Now is available in eBook and paperback. To buy the book and support Charity: Water, click here.