Automobile sales are down among the nation's teens and twenty-something year olds. While I do not think this should come as a surprise I do find it surprising that some would blame the internet. There was an article recently published on msnbc's website that tried to figure out the reason why members of Generation Y are so reluctant to purchase cars. The article places some of the blame on the internet and social media websites because it says that people can now communicate and even go to school online. This means there is less of a need to drive places and thus own a car.
I don't agree with this article because I think the reason Generation Y is less likely to use a car is because of the bad rep that cars have gotten everywhere. Cars are viewed as being a major contributor to global warming and I think the youth take it more seriously than older generations. In addition to that I think Generation Y views the car as not only contributing pollution to the environment but also taking a large chunk out of their pocket. Gas is expensive, car insurance is expensive, car maintenance is expensive. I think the car has been demonized in a way or at least the ones we currently have that run on oil.
This article doesn't surprise me because I am one of those Generation Y people that doesn't want a car anymore. I plan to move to a large city where I could use public transportation. I hate having to pay so much money for gas, insurance, maintenance, I don't want to contribute to pollution, and I wish I could walk more everywhere. How great it would be to save lots of money, have less of a carbon footprint, and get more exercise by walking more wherever I need to go. Plus I'd prefer walking among people in a city than constantly being isolated in a car everywhere I go.
Having said that, the internet has nothing to do with me not wanting a car or driving less. If I want to meet someone or go somewhere I never hesitate to get in my car. To learn more about what a carbon footprint is and to calculate you carbon footprint visit this site.
I'm with you. If I could live without my car, I would absolutely do it, unfortunately it's not really an option right now. Being stuck in traffic, paying so much for gas, insurance, these are all things I loathe about having a car. These aren't just things that bother me either, on a larger scale, the upkeep and creation of roads, and the pollution that having so many cars on the road causes are all reasons that we need to find a better alternative.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you’re saying I just don't feel I could ever get by without having a car. Yea cars are expensive and could be a pain when it comes to traffic but they are a necessity. Getting to work, school and visiting people you care about could not be done without them. Unless you live in a big city that has great public transportation, you need your own car. Hopefully in the future more cars are created to go green so we could protect the environment.
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