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

  • Riding the sustainable cycle
    October 5, 2020
    It’s taken a while in North America, but “vehicular cycling” has been replaced by “sustainable cycling”, says transportation engineer Tyler Golly.
  • 'Quiet' work in Stockholm
    July 24, 2012
    Aquajet's new Ecosilence Power Pack has been tested to its limits on the tunnel/bridge renovation work in the city's historic Old Town and has exceeded all expectations, according to E-Schakt's project supervisor, Andreas Nordstrom. Equipment from the Swedish company, including Ecosilence making its debut, is being used in the tunnel and on the 1.2km Central Bridge (or 'Three Bridges'), which was built in the 1950s and which links the northern district of Norrmalm and the southern district of Södermalm. It
  • IRF strives for improved road safety
    November 1, 2012
    The latest in the series of major road safety conferences hosted by IRF’s India Chapter will take place in New Delhi from 1-2 November 2012, with the focus on Urban and Rural Roads Each day, thousands of people are injured or killed on roads around the world. According to the World Bank, “the social and economic losses from road deaths and injuries in low and middle-income countries are projected to be on a catastrophic scale. . .” Globally, road injuries and deaths are due to a number of factors. This unde
  • Demand diversity in the construction equipment sector
    June 1, 2015
    Demand within the global construction equipment manufacturing industry is anything but homogenous, with certain countries and sales regions significantly outperforming others, with a whole host of factors fuelling and suppressing each key market - Guy Woodford reports