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Title:

Virtual Leisure Activity Engagement: The Role of Childhood Technology Experience

Accession Number:

01698088

Record Type:

Component

Abstract:

Travel behavior is changing rapidly. The generational transition in recent years has added a layer of complexity to the analysis of these changes and the forces driving them. Millennials, or individuals born between 1981 and 1995, recently overtook baby boomers as the largest generational cohort in the US population. The challenge for researchers and planners stems in part from the fact that millennials are “digital natives” or the first generation to generally be exposed to technology during childhood, with implications for adulthood preferences, activity and travel behavior. In particular, millennials appear to exhibit a difference in the balance between virtual and physical activities, with direct implications for transportation. Understanding why and to what extent individuals choose to engage in activities virtually (at home) versus physically (outside their home) becomes critical. In this work, the authors tackle activity patterns by capturing the childhood technology engagement – a key feature of the millennial generation – and its impact on adulthood virtual activity engagement. This study is one component of a larger study examining the impacts of the generational shift on travel behavior. Results suggest that individuals who were more technologically-engaged during childhood are associated with higher levels of technology engagement and engagement in virtual leisure activities rather than physical activities as adults. Such results provide important insights at the policy level for efforts aimed at promoting sustainable travel. This will only gain importance as more “digital natives” become transport users.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADB20 Standing Committee on Effects of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Travel Choices.

Report/Paper Numbers:

19-05883

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

Authors:

BouMjahed, Lama
Mahmassani, Hani S

ORCID 0000-0002-8443-8928

Pagination:

17p

Publication Date:

2019

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 98th Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2019-1-13 to 2019-1-17
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Digital/other

Features:

Figures; References; Tables

Geographic Terms:

United States

Subject Areas:

Planning and Forecasting; Society; Transportation (General)

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2019 Paper #19-05883

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Dec 7 2018 9:45AM