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When I was a teenager cell phones were scarce, but I can imagine that my parents would enforce the "no phones at the table" rule in the same way we had a "no books at the table" rule. Table manners were big in my family, and my dad strongly believed that not getting what you want all the time builds character. I know times have changed, but I'm only in my 30s and it blows my mind how many people are unable to engage with people in their presence and would rather stare at a screen. In restaurants, at family gatherings, at work, at movies and plays. Do people really have to be entertained 24/7?
I feel like table manners is an appropriate enough topic for the food-drink forum, and cell phones at the table definitely fall under discussions of table manners. There are particular ways I behave when I'm on my own, versus ways I behave in social settings. A meal shared with others is a social setting. That means it's not time for private phone/text conversations, not time to watch your favorite show or movie (unless that's what everyone's doing), not time to read a book or magazine or website, not time to check your facebook, not time to lean your head back and take a nap...all of which are things you might do if you were dining on your own, or taking your lunch break in your car, etc. But dining with others? Nope. Not appropriate. Not by a long shot.
I don't have a smartphone, but my husband does. He carries his everywhere, and will whip it out when we're eating dinner at a restaurant or something. He isn't doing it to be mean, but for example, this past Friday we went out to eat and the topic of conversation was about old cars his dad used to have. He used his smartphone to look up a picture of one of the cars, and showed it to me, and that was that.
But I have seen people just sit on their phones the whole time, even when the food comes out. My rule is also to put the phone away, especially when eating. I don't care if they're teens or adults
NO cell phone at the table and that includes home, restaurants, someone else's house ect... it's rude and obnoxious. If you need your cell for emergencies or have a sick loved one that's different but to text, play video games ect.. at the table is a no no. I grew up just before cell phones were popular, most people had mobile phones in their cars, my dad did. No one was allowed to call us during Dinner either.Adults are just as bad as kids and teens. Put your phone on vibrate or take the call/text later. This is just another way for people to not have to interact with family and friends.You might as well stay home then. Cell phone use is not permitted at my dinner table unless it's an emergency or your job calling.I have a cell and hardly ever use it.
I went to a buffet for dinner last night and noticed the same exact thing that you wrote of. A family of about 6 were all sitting there eating away with their faces in their phones. Even the parents were glued to their cell screens.
Because of this, I don't really think it is much of a problem to families that allow that sort of social disconnection to occur in their family unit. It's their choice of how they raise their family. But it really does make me wonder why people are addicted to their cell devices and are more enticed by their social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter, texts, and calls versus actual human-to-human, face-to-face interaction.
I am however guilty of using my phone at the table when necessary, but I do not leisurely sit there and tune myself out of the people I'm eating with just to write a text or post a Facebook status.
I guess the old days are gone and the new days are here.
^^^ Well said, Tabula Rasa!! Table manners deteriorated to nonexistent. People talk with full mouth, burp, they are rude to wait staff, talk too loud, play with gadgets ignoring other people that dine with them.... the list can go on , and on... Very sad.
I noticed that most everyone is having their mobile phone placed on the dining table, or they are constantly checking their mobiles for messages, held under the table. All those peeps and obnoxious tones coming from everywhere...
People value electronic interaction over face-to-face interaction and think that is not important to be attentive to the other person who is right in front of them.
I grew up eating at the family dining table, discussing all sorts of topics, debated, argued … it’s not bad to argue, but we communicated.
Today, it seem that people do not want to talk, they want to type...
Smart phones or cell phones were not even a glimmer of an idea when I was growing up but if they were my father would have smacked the thing right out of my hand.
I feel meal time is family time. It should be spend discussing the days events or future events. It should always be pleasant and civilized. You can kill the kids after dinner.
NO cell phone at the table and that includes home, restaurants, someone else's house ect... it's rude and obnoxious. If you need your cell for emergencies or have a sick loved one that's different but to text, play video games ect.. at the table is a no no. I grew up just before cell phones were popular, most people had mobile phones in their cars, my dad did. No one was allowed to call us during Dinner either.Adults are just as bad as kids and teens. Put your phone on vibrate or take the call/text later. This is just another way for people to not have to interact with family and friends.You might as well stay home then. Cell phone use is not permitted at my dinner table unless it's an emergency or your job calling.I have a cell and hardly ever use it.
I totally agree w/Lubby.
I think a lot of these kids have "ADA"....attention deficient disorder
Also, it is a selfish thing for those folks that use their cell phones at restaurants while disrupted the conversation of the other diners
It's hard to expect kids to use appropriate manners, too, when adults aren't modeling them. It's not just teens who should be checking their personal technology at the door when it's family time.
Smart phones or cell phones were not even a glimmer of an idea when I was growing up
You know, when I was in elementary school if someone had told me the day would come when everyone would have a personal telephone to carry in their pocket I would have thought it was science fiction!!
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NO cell phone...
