Parental wisdom tells you to avoid strangers. Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t accept candy from strangers. Don’t get into a stranger’s car. Well, that last one doesn’t apply anymore.
The rise of consumer-facing products in the stranger-sphere have been well-documented and thoroughly discussed. The mechanics and implications of ride-sharing like Lyft and Uber and home-staying like Airbnb and relationship-building like Tinder and Bumble and even service-providing like Thumbtack or Handy. These are marketplaces driven by supply and demand for and because of strangers.
Everything we do offline has always been with strangers: the cashier at the grocery store, the driver in the cab, the receptionist at the check-in desk. The invitation here is different. We are inviting people—complete strangers—into our homes, and more profoundly, our lives. We let them take up space and time, even for a brief moment, and that’s important.