It's Free Rider Season

The list of things that Millennials have "killed" has become a borrowed, yet popular, writing topic for uninspired bloggers in recent years. From forgoing casual dining chains for local spots or renting instead of buying homes, Millennials appear to be the essence of everything wrong with America (at least according to some Boomers). Nevertheless, Millennials have introduced a tradition unlike any other in the last five years: Friendsgiving. Across the country, young professionals and college students alike are celebrating Turkey Day a week early amongst their friends. Yours truly is proudly one of those people (Not sure I actually count as a Millennial but I'll roll with it for this blog). And I have a confession to make; I will be free-riding this year. 

Since first year, my friend group of around 15 people has put on a Friendsgiving event to enjoy each other's company before heading back home. Each year, I have dutifully put my name in the google doc, right next to a food item to bring to our feast. Year after year, I spend both my time and resources preparing a not-so-great version of my mom's mac & cheese for the group to share. What I am now realizing, however, is that the other guys in the group haven't put in quite the same effort. In fact, most of them never bring anything. Yet they all enjoy in the same meal as I do. Truthfully, there never seems to be a shortage of food (shoutout to the girls). The group size is simply too large for anyone to notice the effort, or lack there of, from each friend. So I wonder, why should I waste my time and money when I could still enjoy Friendsgiving? With this in consideration, and in true free-rider fashion, I've been incentivized to not contribute this year either.

The google doc was just sent into our group message, and I am standing firm in my decision. Will there be a suboptimal production of food? Probably. Will it be enough to keep me or anyone else from getting there full? Probably not. Should the group develop an enforcement mechanism to solve this free-rider problem, perhaps in the form of a private club tied to contribution? For my sake, I sure hope not.