The Role of Social Networking Sites in Changing Travel Behaviours

This report describes a recent study that explored the use of social media approaches to affect changes in travel behaviors. The authors were seeking to better understand the potential uses of social networking sites and to offer recommendations for how any identified strategies could be optimized with better design. The authors conducted a literature search, concluding that a robust empirical research base on the possible behavioral impact of social networking sites is not presently available. They next supplemented the existing evidence base by conducting original research, which included: three focus groups, two interviews with developers of social networking sites that could potentially trigger a change in travel behaviors, and an online survey (n = 141 social network users). This report describes the results of these research activities. The author concludes that social networking sites offer a good way to communicate messages to a broad demographic and seem likely to increase user self-awareness of the impact of their travel behaviors as well as of more sustainable alternatives. While perhaps this may not lead to a direct change in travel behaviors, it may have an impact on attitudes and values that could change travel behaviors in the longer term. The authors include a brief discussion of the design characteristics that, if built into the development (and continued maintenance) of a social networking site, could increase this positive impact.