Competition and solidarity dynamics among app drivers in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to describe how drivers, whose work is mediated by apps and who operate in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, use social media platforms, messaging apps, and video-sharing platforms, paying attention to their political implications. To achieve this goal, we analyzed empirical data collected between 2021 and 2022, which includes ethnographic observation notes, in-depth interviews, and focus groups. Throughout various stages of the research, the field data indicated that digital platforms significantly permeate the daily lives of the drivers. The intensive use of these new media establishes new professional hierarchies, shapes workers’ worldviews, experiences, and political perceptions. In this article, we aim to describe, in particular, how the popularization of social media platforms has created a space where self-employed workers organize themselves into groups in which competition and solidarity coexist and take on particular forms.