Lived experiences about car sharing in young adults: Emerging paradoxes

This paper aims to investigate young adults’ lived experiences about car sharing as a mobility option which may be complementary or substitute to the ownership of a car. We purposefully select a sample of young adults between 18 and 35 years old, living respectively in Milan and Amsterdam, two of the most advanced European towns for sharing services. In interviewing these groups of consumers, we find the emergence of some paradoxical consumption behaviors in relation to mobility choices, thus contributing to consumer culture theory literature about sharing consumption behaviors. First, respondents firmly declare a car is not a means to express their identity or status, but at the same time associate car ownership to social status. Second, they seem to be “sharing proud” as they praise car sharing for being a pragmatic and wise money-saving solution as well as a symbol of innovation, dynamism and youthful lifestyle. Yet, they at the same time perceive a feeling of “sharing shame” they think car sharing is a fallback owing to the inability to afford an own car, therefore there are situations in which they feel ashamed of showing up with a shared car.