The unofficial start of summer finds gas prices at a 10-year low, and more Americans are "hitting the road." The New York Times recently reported that this road-tripping resurgence may signal a "cultural shift" as more people realize that "money can, in fact, buy happiness, at least in the form of adventures and memories." Drivers have cited several reasons, such as nostalgia for childhood road trips, the desire to experience the great outdoors, and wanting to bond with family members, among others.
In the RFF blog series, "Are We Becoming More Environmental?", RFF’s Jim Boyd and Carolyn Kousky note that taste formation, experience and learning, and social norms can influence such desires. For example, people who grew up road-tripping may have developed a taste for that experience, and younger people who are now experiencing road trips for the first time may be conforming to the social norms of older drivers.
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