Researchers in Carleton’s Sprott School of Business are seeking Millennial and Generation Z research participants to participate in a study about the benefits and drawbacks of sharing travel-related content and experiences on social media.
Background
Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Generation Zs (born 1997-2002) have become notorious for their frequent and skillful use of social media. Many individuals in these demographic cohorts are not only active on social media, but they carefully cultivate highly curated accounts and personal brands, often centred around lifestyle, health and wellness, and travel.
In a timely new study, researchers in Carleton’s Sprott School of Business are diving deeper into the phenomenon of sharing travel experiences on social networking sites (SNS) to better understand the intention behind sharing such information.
Specifically, the study will seek to determine the benefits and drawbacks to individuals’ professional lives from sharing different types of travel experiences, the professional value of participating in experiential travel, and the ways in which Millennials and Gen Zs use experiential travel experiences to create personal brands online.
We Have
This study is being led by Sophia Krystek, Master of Science: Management Candidate, with academic supervision from Dr. Leighann Neilson. The project has received ethics clearance (#114643) and the research is underway.
We Need
We are seeking adult (18 years of age and older) research participants who fall within the Millennial or Generation Z cohort and who have travelled outside of their home province in the past two years.
Participants will be asked to participate in a recorded 60-minute interview via phone or online video messaging. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on an as-needed basis.
The Impact
This study is being conducted in order to gain further insight into the process of experience sharing on social media and how the selected travel experiences that are shared online help to establish individuals’ personal brands. By better understanding this process, we hope to be able to uncover and communicate what individuals gain by taking the time to create a personal brand in the online world through the lens of impression management theory.
To learn more or to get involved, contact sophiakrystek@cmail.carleton.ca.
