It used to be the case that novels were the preserve of the commute, or news papers and magazines, or even, dare one say, conversation. But those days have well and truly gone. Today the commute is a sea of headphones and the muffled sounds emitting from them. Even listening to music on the commute is becoming ever-so passe, today more and more people are using the trip to work to watch the television.
With commuters spending more and more time traveling, an average of 72 minutes at the last ask, it is no wonder that so pressed for time in other portions of their life, workers are now reserving the commute for catching up on missed shows.
More than one in three commuters use the morning and evening to commute to watch TV a new survey commissioned by O2 Priority has found. The most popular show is the BBC’s Doctor Who, closely followed by The Office, which is surely ironic given the commute’s destination. Equally ironic given the commute’s destination, is the fact that the most popular genre of show to watch is comedy.
Watching the television in the living room at home has long been in decline, as sagging viewing figures for terrestrial channels will attest. But now television is being taken out of the home and onto the train, a trajectory that is thought certain to continue.
Robert joined the HRreview editorial team in October 2015. After graduating from the University of Salford in 2009 with a BA in Politics, Robert has spent several years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past he has been part of editorial teams at Flux Magazine, Mondo*Arc Magazine and The Marine Professional.