It’s hard to place a dollar value on human-to-human interactions in the current (and growing) connection economy, because connection is about engaging in acts of caring.
And whoever put a dollar value on acts of caring?
But here are a few challenge questions if that’s your attitude:
Whoever put a dollar value on the act of raising crops in an agricultural economy?
Whoever put a dollar value on the act of building a widget in an industrial economy?
Whoever put a dollar value on the act of providing a customer service in the service economy?
Humanity figured out the dollar value inherent in all the economic transitions from hunting and foraging, to agriculture, to industry, to service and created functioning economic systems—from trading and bartering to late stage capitalism. And humanity will figure out the current global transition we are in right now.
The space between the old system and the new system is a space of conflict, anger, incivility, uncertainty, spectacle, entertainment, along with a healthy dose of depression, worry, and anxiety.
This is a space where the skills of mediation (particularly around distraction, diversion, and deflection) can be helpful (and monetized) at scale.
But whoever put a dollar value on the acts of caring?
