Every day we commute further distances than ever before for work. I live on the central coast and commute daily down to Sydney for both university and work. Living on the central coast the commute is around an hour and twenty minutes each way, with the two options for your commute being catching the train or driving. I have noticed a stigma around the travel time with most people viewing this as “dead time” or time out of your day.
Recent studies on commute times and the effect it has on our mental health and wellbeing have allowed me to reflect on the different ways I have utilized this time over the years that have had an effect on my wellbeing, either by utilizing the time for work, leisure or meditation. This sparked the idea for the concept of commute/well-being as a way to get people thinking about their own commutes and sharing ideas.
David Bissell, Associate professor and author of “Transit Life: How Commuting Is Transforming Our Cities” states that the daily commute for many is so “deeply routinised” that we don’t stop to think about it (Bissell, 2018). Bissell argues that while this liminal time might seem passive our travel time and what we experience and do along the way shapes our wellbeing and “actively changes us”.
Research by the Office for National Statistics in 2014 backs this up as it shows the clear ties between commute and our wellbeing, revealing “Commuters have lower life satisfaction, a lower sense that their daily activities are worthwhile, lower levels of happiness and higher anxiety on average than noncommuters” (Commuting and Personal Well-being, 2014 – ONS, 2014). This research shows a need to address how we commute and the importance of finding ways to utilise this time.
major content areas you will be including?
Introduction to main uses of time – through a interactive photo like HTSWOYP but on a train. Or a photo that shows a busy platform and colour scales based on what the majority do, the screen
A map that looks at how you travel and what options are available to you
About commute – how its changing and how that change is changing us
Break the stigma
Calculate how much time you spend in commute
OnlineDocumentary Assignment 2 