We're taught as children that sharing is admirable; that it brings its own reward.

But we're now far more likely to share an article online than we are a cup of sugar with our neighbours.

At an international level too, it can sometimes seem as though we're living in a new age of selfishness.

While countries have always been careful about how and what they share, there's now, arguably, an even greater reluctance amongst some wealthy nations to share the benefits of their first world success.

But a growing community of people are reconnecting with what could be regarded as a more traditional and genuine sense of sharing.

And according to Tom Llewellyn, from non-profit online network Shareable, there are rewards to reap.

"On the one hand we have an issue with overconsumption… and then we also have this global crisis of loneliness," he said.

"Sharing is a wonderful way to bring people together and build community."

Scared to share

Mr Llewellyn believes society has moved away from traditional sharing because of a fear of indebtedness to neighbours and other people.

"[It is] connected to our fear of financial debt," he said.

"But at the same time, it's that interpersonal indebtedness that really is the root of community. You know, 'I helped you build your house, so you help me build mine'."

Should we stop stressing about copyright and start sharing more ideas? Many experts think so. ( Unsplash.com: Annie Spratt, CC-0 )

The open-source software community is one example of what sharing can achieve.

Brian Behlendorf, from the open-source software platform Linux, has been involved in the movement since its inception in the 1980s.

"It is a way for a group of individuals who have a common need… to get together and throw everything into a pot. And what comes out of it is soup that everyone can enjoy," he said.

A shared approach to software development, Mr Behlendorf argues, has been key to the successful development of many tech projects.

"Software is so complex that no one developer on a project of significant value can actually know how everything works and get their code right the first time," he said.

We can all reap the benefits

Another benefit of such an approach is it promotes a bottom-up methodology — anyone can start a project, and anyone can reap the benefits.

Julius Sweetland started his project Optikey after his aunt was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

The on-screen keyboard works with an eye-tracking device or webcam. It provides an alternative to a physical keyboard, giving people with motor and speech limitations control over their computer.

Loading...

There were other similar keyboards on the market, but they were expensive. His skills as a software developer enabled him to write the code for the project.

Sharing via open-source allowed Mr Sweetland to ensure that those who benefitted from his work were also required to share what they developed in turn.

"I licenced it in such a way that if you create derivative work, that has to be open too," he said.

He says adopting an open-source approach also means precious development time isn't wasted trying to fend off perceived competitors and obsessing over intellectual property rights.

Australia's perfect example

But it isn't just the tech community that is rediscovering the benefits of sharing.

Mr Llewellyn's favourite example is The Walking School Bus.

Instead of using an actual bus, kids in various Australian communities walk to school in a pre-arranged group.

"There's a reduction of fossil fuels and the need to have additional infrastructure for the buses. It's a lot cheaper.

"Also, the students that are participating, they're walking to school and they're getting to experience their communities.

"There's also the benefit of learning how to navigate."

How to persuade people to share

But despite the personal and communal advantages associated with adopting a sharing mindset, some people still need encouragement, according to Erez Yoeli, a research scientist from Yale University's Applied Cooperation Lab.

He said emphasising the reputational benefit involved can be useful, but he warned against pairing that with a cash incentive.

"It's often the case that if people get paid for something, then [other] people start to suspect that they didn't do it for the right reason," he said.

So how else can people be persuaded to share?

The Yale Applied Cooperation team have a checklist of ways to increase people's desire to distribute for the common good.

Loading...

Mr Yoeli says the first item on the list is "to increase observability" — to make sure that other people find out about the good deed.

"To give you a concrete example, [imagine] I'm asking somebody to sign up to a program for an electric utility and it's a program to help prevent blackouts," he said.

"If the utility is just asking you to sign up to a hotline, then no one will ever find out that you've done the good deed.

"But if you sign up using sign-up sheets that are posted in a building lobby, well now anyone who passes can see your name."

Mr Yoeli says the lab ran an experiment where they tripled participation in an electricity-saving program simply by switching from a hotline to a sign-up sheet.

The next persuasive technique on the list involves eliminating excuses.

"We really want there to be as stark a difference as possible between doing the good deed and not," Mr Yoeli said.

"So, for example, suppose I walk into a museum. If the museum wants to maximise donations then they're not just going to stick a donation box there and let me walk on by it and pretend I didn't see it, because I have plenty of excuses.

"Rather, what they're going to do is they're going to make me stand in line and get a ticket… and you have to explicitly say that you want to pay less."

His last top tip for convincing people to share is to communicate expectations — and there are lots of ways to do this.

"You can tell them, 'lots of other people are doing this good deed' or you can just say 'hey please do this thing'.

"Or you can re-frame a mundane action like turning off the lights as a contribution to the public good by putting a sticker up to remind people that it's actually helping to reduce greenhouse gases," he said.