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Riding an E-Scooter Reportedly Benefits Mental Health, Survey Claims

A study made among e-scooter riders claims that riding these devices brings mental health benefits. While the claim may be a bit too farfetched, we can understand the feeling described by the many respondents of the survey. Almost 90 percent spoke about an increased sense of freedom, the survey noted.
People riding e-scooters 11 photos
Photo: Spin
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But first, let us focus on the important aspects of the matter. Who conducted the survey, how many respondents were there and what was their relevance, and who paid the company that conducted the survey. Yes, even the latter aspect matters, and not just for the company that asked for the survey to happen, but also for those who get to read its results.

Sometimes, customers should take survey results and all positive reviews with a grain of salt. While vendors can buy fake reviews to pride themselves on online stores, some surveys may be inaccurate because of a limited number of respondents or if the people who reply come from a specific demographic.

In this case, this is a survey that was requested by Spin, a micromobility company that the Ford Motor Company owns. The company operates e-bike and e-scooter app-based rentals in the U.S. and several European cities and campuses.

Spin prides itself for implementing the first-ever station-less bike-sharing program in the U.S., and that system got to be used across the world by various other companies.

Now, back to the survey, its respondents are 996 Spin riders from seven towns in the United Kingdom. The data was collected in August 2021, but the fact that makes us ask for a grain of salt with this survey is that all respondents were customers of the same e-scooter rental company.

That means that there is a good chance that those customers were happy with e-scooters in general, and that was the second thing they had in common along with their city of residence.

Because of these two factors, in the form of a small and narrow survey respondent pool and the fact that all the people interviewed are customers of a specific company, the premises for a less than accurate result is there.

People riding e\-scooters
Photo: Spin
To clarify, I am not saying that wrongdoing is involved, but this would have been eliminated if 10,000 people had been interviewed and the respondents would have included cyclists, car owners, pedestrians, and customers of the e-scooter sharing service alike.

You may now know this, but today, October 10, is World Mental Health Day. Therefore, the survey we are referring to has analyzed the mental health benefits of riding an e-scooter. While I admit I have never imagined riding an e-scooter would bring benefits to mental health, 74 percent of riders declared that they felt de-stressed after using one.

Moreover, 85 percent of riders have felt relaxed after their rides, while 67 percent claim that riding an e-scooter helps clear their mind of negative thoughts and feelings.

As you may have read in the first paragraph, 87 percent of riders described feeling an increased sense of freedom. Now, this is something that I can relate to. While I am not a huge fan of riding e-scooters (rented or otherwise), I have experienced similar feelings and sensations after riding a motorcycle.

The feeling of freedom is definitely there, and anyone who has ridden a motorcycle must have felt it at least once. While in 2021 it may also come from the digital detox that can happen since you cannot look at your smartphone, as 63 percent of respondents told interviewers, but the feeling of freedom on two wheels is older than a smartphone and even computers.

Another interesting aspect revealed by the study was that 70 percent of respondents believed that riding an e-scooter that was rented via a hire scheme helped improve their mental health.

Well, we are not therapists here and we cannot comment on the matter, but if that is what makes you happy, or simply gets you in a better mood, go for it as long as you do not interfere with someone else's freedom.

People riding e\-scooters
Photo: Spin

According to the survey, four in ten riders explained that they felt joyful, free, or positive during or after their rides. In addition, almost half declared that they felt adventurous about renting an e-scooter.

Other riders told interviewers that they felt "exhilarated and like a soaring eagle," which may be a bit too much in our view, or just "back to my childhood."

A renowned media psychologist, Emma Kenny, supported the survey results and explained that riding an e-scooter can be a way for people to "feel free and embrace a nostalgic, childlike experience in the fresh air."

If you allow it, the same goes for riding a bicycle, a skateboard, or rollerblading, if you ask us. So, with that in mind, go out and enjoy some fresh air and sunlight outside, as mental health is as important as health in general.

If you do ride an e-scooter, be safe and keep the speed within real limits of your skill, as reaching the emergency room has no beneficial effect on mental health.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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