No Phone Zone : New Table Etiquette

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The children have spoken and they don’t like their parents using cellphones at the table. In fact, 70 percent of kids say they think their parents enjoy screen time more than hanging out with them.This heartbreaking statistic was enough to lead a UK-based restaurant chain, to take drastic action. For a temporary time period, from November 29 till December 7, families who come into the restaurant will be asked to leave their phones in a “no phone zone” box at the table. The devices are meant to stay there for the duration of the meal. As a reward, kids eat for free.

The phone ban is optional; families are not forced to participate, although the prospect of saving money on food is likely a nice incentive. The no phone zone box could continue long-term, depending on customer reaction.It’s like a trip back in time, to the days when kids actually had to sit and talk to their parents, scribble on coloring sheets, or play tic-tac-toe until their food showed up. Parents will have to interact with their kids, field their curious questions, and remind them of their manners because they won’t be sitting like little frozen zombies, eyes glued to a screen.

Looking at phones at the table is downright rude, despite the fact that it’s become oddly normalized in our society. If you’re having dinner with friends and family, be with them. The family meal is a social event, not a food ingestion event. Studies have found that using one’s phone at the table makes everyone unhappy- other guests, as well as the user. It’s best left untouched, and if that message can be conveyed to the next generation of restaurant-goers from a young age, so much the better.

Use family mealtime to:

Find out what’s going on in your child’s academic and social life
Fill your child in on family news and ask for his opinions and input
Encourage conversation and self-expression
Share your values with your child
Be a consistent and stabilizing presence in your child’s life

Allowing children (or adults for that matter) to be distracted by electronic gadgets during dinner is bad manners, for sure. But more than that, it’s a bad habit that can interfere with your child’s healthy social and emotional development. Multitasking doesn’t work when it comes to kids and technology. If you think your kid doesn’t notice you stealing glances at your phone or texting during his soccer game, or while you’re helping with homework, you’re wrong. So put your phone away and your kid will understand why you’re asking him to do the same.

References:

1. https://www.treehugger.com/family/restaurant-gives-free-meals-families-who-dont-use-phones-table.html?utm_source=TreeHugger+Newsletters&utm_campaign=aad0e241e8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_11_16_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_32de41485d-aad0e241e8-243601237

2. https://www.understood.org/en/family/events-outings/family-dinners-and-dining-out/should-i-let-my-child-quietly-use-his-phone-at-the-dinner-table

By: Dr. Bhawana Asnani.

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