He calls himself one of the 'special kind' -- that is, the ones who study on the bus. There aren't too many of these, except when there's a morning exam. His phone is more of a 'practical' tool, and he explains why.

 

Tell us a bit about yourself – what do you do?
I’m a second year commerce and engineering student.

 

Describe where we are at the moment.
We’re on the bus to uni (university), the same bus I’ve been catching since I started my degree.

 

What are your thoughts on the space of the bus?
Usually all the people that are on here are uni students. I’m pretty familiar with this space as it’s a daily thing for me.

 

Where we currently are, which is the seats for people with disabilities, is this a regular seating arrangement for you?
No, I’m actually usually standing or sitting on the seats from the middle to the back of the bus. Sometimes I’ll stand because the bus is fully packed, but usually I manage to find a seat next to somebody.

 

Do you get bored during the bus ride? What kind of things do you do to occupy your mind?
If I’m not sleeping, I might be on my phone. I’m more likely to use my phone when sitting, as standing limits my ability to do things with my hands – especially since I like to use my phone to help me with my homework.

 

Do you think that sitting in any particular section of the bus makes you feel more inclined to use your phone?
Well, I’m not too restricted by any seating arrangement. It’s only when I’m standing that I’m not able to do practical things with my phone.

 

You say you like using your phone as a homework tool – in what ways?
I use it for internet research and calculating maths problems. It does the job that I need for study-related things.

 

How would you feel if you didn’t have your phone on the journey?
I would have a feeling of helplessness; it’s like the feeling of lacking something.

 

If you needed to do your homework, would you still be able to do it without your phone?
I would probably just use my textbook, but it would definitely be less practical doing this. I could bring other tools with me, like my iPad, but it’s too valuable to take to uni.

 

Do you ever observe the way others are using their phones on the bus?
I think most use their phones to kill time, but others, who I think are a special kind, use them as a study tool.