November 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 18

Research

ment. The adventure theme, for example,
highlighted the excitement associated with
exploration. As one participant explained,
" Kids just like to go and have an adventure. They like to discover new things because there's so many, like, wildlife out
there, and they could say, 'Oh, I want to
discover this or see it in real life.' "
Challenge meant doing something
they didn't think possible or, even better,
something their friends had not achieved.
" Everybody gets all competitive to beat
each other at doing whatever it is they're
being challenged [to do], " one youth explained. And, they appreciated the sense
of accomplishment that followed adventure and challenge. Achievement could
be experienced several ways, and did not
always entail completing a " grand feat. "
It could be as simple, as one youth stated,
as " when you go somewhere and you see
like a waterfall or something. It feels like
it's a reward. " Bragging to their friends
is another way youth experience achievement. For example, one youth described
" like when we went to the snow and
16 Parks & Recreation

brought back pictures and were showing
people. And they were like, 'Oh, I want
to do that next time.' "
Engaging Youth Via Social Media
Although using social media to inspire outdoor recreation activities and a connection
with nature may seem counterintuitive to
some, gaining youth attention is the first
step toward engagement, and one plausible medium is technology. By building
on youth interests - both in technology
preferences and motivations for spending
time in nature - park and recreation professionals can encourage participation in
outdoor recreation-based youth programs
and an appreciation for natural places.
To effectively connect with youths,
we recommend designing social media
messages and marketing campaigns that
consider the themes described herein.
Furthermore, easy to understand access
information (e.g., addresses, apps, transportation alternatives and routes) should
accompany the messages to help convert
youth interest into action. For example, a

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photo and an online post about reaching a
peak (that taps into the themes of challenge
and achievement) should be paired with
links to trail maps and public transportation options.
Combining themes in social media messages and campaigns - seeking adventure
with family and friends for greater social
interaction - can engage youth through
the multiple motivations they express. For
example, an agency might post information and photos on its social media sites
to encourage youth to hike to a waterfall
or unique natural feature, or to complete a
novel challenge, such as geocaching with
close friends or family.
Finally, youth reported using multiple social media platforms, so park and recreation
professionals should publish content on multiple sites and encourage youth to engage
with their messages by creating and adding
content. Youth created and shared content,
such as comments or photos of accomplishments and social outings, may be one of the
most powerful ways to ensure continued
engagement with social media that in turn,
encourages outdoor recreation participation
and visits to natural areas. With effective
planning and targeted use, social media has
immense potential to engage youth in outdoor activities that enhance physical, social
and mental well-being.
Detailed references for this article are
available at www.parksandrecreation.
org/2016/November/Stay-on-YourSmartphone.
Keri Schwab, Ph.D. (keschwab@calpoly.edu),
Susan Houge Mackenzie, Ph.D. (mackenzi@
calpoly.edu), William W. Hendricks, Ph.D.
(whendric@calpoly.edu), Marni Goldenberg,
Ph.D. (mgoldenb@calpoly.edu), Jerusha
Greenwood, Ph.D. (jbgreenw@calpoly.edu) and
Brian Greenwood, Ph.D. (pgreenwo@calpoly.
edu) are faculty members in the Department of
Experience Industry Management at California
Polytechnic State University. Lindsey M. Higgins,
Ph.D., is a faculty member in the Agribusiness
Department at California Polytechnic State
University (lhiggins@calpoly.edu).

November 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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