Skip to main content

Social media could be behind less young adults using cars, say Dutch researchers

The development of social media could be behind a drop in car usage by young adults, according to new research. Kennisinstituut voor Mobiliteitsbeleid, the Dutch knowledge institute on mobility management, found that people in their twenties in the Netherlands, as well as in Norway, Sweden, the US, England, Germany and Japan, are making less use of cars. They say the burgeoning popularity of social media often makes it less important for people to be physically present, and because young adults tend settle
January 9, 2013 Read time: 1 min
The development of social media could be behind a drop in car usage by young adults, according to new research.

Kennisinstituut voor Mobiliteitsbeleid, the Dutch knowledge institute on mobility management, found that people in their twenties in the Netherlands, as well as in Norway, Sweden, the US, England, Germany and Japan, are making less use of cars. They say the burgeoning popularity of social media often makes it less important for people to be physically present, and because young adults tend settle in urban areas, cars are less practical.

The Institute says it is unsure how this will develop over the years and makes no recommendations on transport development. However, the institute expects an annual increase in overall car usage of 1% to 2%.

Related Content

  • Kenya taxi safety campaign
    August 18, 2015
    A new campaign is getting underway in Kenya that aims to boost road safety and cut crashes. This simple campaign employs a straightforward approach, using stickers to encourage passengers to speak up and tell taxi drivers to slow down. Called Zusha!, the Swahili word for protest, the campaign uses stickers placed on vehicles, encouraging taxi passengers to tell drivers to drive more carefully. Kenya’s 14 seat passenger vehicles are known as matutus and the drivers are notorious for speeding and reckless dri
  • Kenya taxi safety campaign
    August 18, 2015
    A new campaign is getting underway in Kenya that aims to boost road safety and cut crashes. This simple campaign employs a straightforward approach, using stickers to encourage passengers to speak up and tell taxi drivers to slow down. Called Zusha!, the Swahili word for protest, the campaign uses stickers placed on vehicles, encouraging taxi passengers to tell drivers to drive more carefully. Kenya’s 14 seat passenger vehicles are known as matutus and the drivers are notorious for speeding and reckless dri
  • Swedish study of road pollution
    March 10, 2016
    A study carried out in Sweden has highlighted the key risks of road pollution. The study was made by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (Svenska Miljöinstitutet, IVL) and has shown that wear-and-tear from roads and tyres constitute the largest source of microplastics emissions. Kerstin Magnusson, Ecotoxicologist at the Institute, states that the study, which was conducted on behalf of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket), is the largest mapping of microplastics emissions
  • Tanzania’s work on East Africa’s multi-national road project
    November 28, 2022
    Tanzania is kick-starting construction work on the missing link in East Africa's multinational road