nostr:npub130xlduvdu9xkdwcegrujvftepkm8p8agk9xjhyskezu4skx2snjs8dcunr here in Aotearoa NZ it might be a sizeable demographic... but agree with you re the direction of causality... Although I think lots of people backpack because, at that age, they can't afford anything else & are just looking for adventure... in the process they receive a global perspective and experience diversity viscerally. (Some manage to avoid it, of course)