At meal time, when people should ideally be in the moment and concentrating on the other people who are with them, they instead choose to spend that valuable time seeking responses from people on social media and engaging in activities like texting. Some people even find themselves scrolling through social media like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook simply out of habit.

Time For Dinner

On a humorous note, one in eight mothers in the UK have actually admitted to texting their kids to get them to come to the dinner table. When did this become the norm, and how do we stop madness like this? It seems like it became more of a problem with the increased popularity of cell phones. Technology was once relegated to certain areas of the home. The television, for example, would be in a living area or in a family room and would be used when people were in that room. Cell phones are in our pockets and always close by and accessible. Therefore, they have become a constant temptation.

Meal times were once a time when people would reconnect with one another, share stories from their day, bond as a family and learn important social skills. Nearly 75 percent of people feel that meal time is important for families to spend time together, yet cell phone use has made its way into that time and has interrupted that precious time for many families. Not only that, but 88 percent of people surveyed believe that it's inappropriate to use a cell phone during a meal.

Ways To Put Cell Phones Down

There are some good ways to get everyone to put down those cell phones during important family times like meal time. Doing this begins with awareness that there is a problem. Once everyone is on the same page and realizes that it's become a problem, it's easier to convince people to be proactive and to take steps to lessen the use of cell phones, or to stop using them altogether during meals.

Some of the best ways to get everyone into the moment again include:

  • Turning cell phones off, silencing them or putting them face down during meals. If this doesn't work, you can try having everyone plug in their phones and have meal time become phone recharging time. When the meal is over and everyone goes their own way, cell phones can then be picked up again.
  • Turn off notifications from social media. We've become so conditioned to want to look at phones every time we hear a ding or a beep to let us know someone has made a comment, posted a photo or sent a text message that we instinctively reach for the phone. Turning off these notifications lessens this reflexive response and helps us to curb the urge to always be looking at our phones.
  • If you can't stay away by turning the phone face down at the table, or turning off notification sounds, physically put the phone away someplace while you eat.
  • If getting a lot of "junk" email is an issue causing you to spend time sifting through it and deleting, try unsubscribing from all mailing lists and notifications you receive through email. You'll lessen your volume of email and free up more time for things like face-to-face social interaction at meal time!

The Problems with Cell Phones:

  1. Is distracting
  2. Eliminates our ability to effectively interact with others if we spend too much time on them
  3. Has been shown to reduce cognitive abilities
  4. Undermines the depth and character in face-to-face interactions. We become less likely to read looks on people's faces and to be able to respond to their emotions when our mind is essentially someplace else.

What Being On Your Phone During Dinner Tells Others

People might be tempted to think that being on cell phones during times like family dinners is a harmless behavior. But really, there are some things you could be telling others without even realizing it! You can be communicating that:

  • Time with family is not important to you
  • Physically you are there at the table, but psychologically you are not. You're off in some never-land place filled with clouds, text messages, pet videos and air.
  • It sends an off-putting message that you have other things to do right now that are more important. Kids especially can be very sensitive to messages like this and can become withdrawn. They can eventually be inclined to stop interacting with you.
  • Even if you don't intend to be rude, you are when you're constantly checking your phone.

Imagine The Implications!

Just imagine if meal times can become times to reconnect again and really get to know those people you live with, even the littlest ones. Imagine finding out what happened to each person during the day at preschool, school or at work, and being able to listen attentively as they tell their stories. You may even be able to offer them advice about how to deal with special or difficult situations. Bonding can happen, and true affection and trust can be built.

Kids learn that they're important and that they're valued. Adults learn that they are respected and that their opinions, values and traditions are important enough to be passed to younger generations. Everyone realizes that home is the one place where they can truly be themselves and express themselves freely. Imagine a better home life when cell phones are put away during meal time. It is possible!