Sharing Travel Experiences on Social Media and Happiness: A Systematic Quantitative Literature Review

Abstract

Social media has become a place where travelers express their emotions and record travel experiences. However, there has been little research on sharing travel experiences on social media and happiness. The purpose of this study is to understand why people share travel experiences on social media and is to propose a conceptual framework of the relationship between sharing travel experiences on social media and happiness. A systematic quantitative literature review method was applied to explore research trends in sharing travel experiences on social media. Specifically, from the SCOPUS database, a total of 120 articles were extracted followed by the PRISMA checklist. Then, they were coded with several categories, such as publication, keywords, the research contexts, and variables, and were finally exported to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed. Results of the systematic qualitative litterateur review suggest that sharing travel experiences on social media positively influences travel satisfaction and enhances travelers’ self-esteem and happiness. Theoretically, this study developed a new theoretical framework on the relationship between sharing travel experience on social media and happiness. In particular, the framework indicates that even though individuals motivation of sharing travel expediences are different, they may experiences either Hedonia or Eudaimonia by doing so. Results of this study also imply that social media could make practical functions such as advertising travel destination and monitoring current and potential travelers' behaviors.