What technologies you use when you have meals? For example, do you use your phone, browse Facebook, watch television, etc. while you eat? Is there any change when you eat alone or with your family? Do you have any implicit or explicit restriction in your family regarding the use of these during mealtime?
Please share your opinion in details. It will help me shape up my PhD research at the University of Melbourne. I would really appreciate your time and effort in this respect.
Thanks :)
My family eats dinner at exactly 6:00pm every night along with watching the evening news on channel 9. We sit either at the table or couch(everyone spreads out), generally with a view of the TV screen. We are not permitted to talk when the newsman is speaking, this is what the ad breaks are designed for.
I have never imagined that purpose for ads, I thought they were for marketing :P (just kidding) Thank you very much for helping me :)
my in laws complain why i eat at 6pm…… they said too early…….
my family have been eating at 6 for all the time…. what's wrong with that?
When I was growing up we sat at a island counter in our kitchen.
The setup was so that we were facing each other and the tv was over your shoulder on pivotelli in our downstairs room that could be swung around to face the kitchen.
During dinner the tv may or may not have been on but it was only ever on the news or everybody loves raymond.
If the news was on we would talk about the events on the news but the main stuff we talked about was events from the day.
Now that I am in my 30's and living with my gf we have a dining table in our living area where the tv is. The tv is generally on but on some sort of pointless channel which is more just background noise.
Phones are not at the table, I hate work following me home (part of the problem working in IT) and we will just talk about work and what happened during the day.
If we can't remember something we may grab the phone to look it up after the meal but never during.
Hope that helps!
It helps. Thank you :)
I think i have run the gamut on this.
When growing up we had 6 to 8 people (incl combos of mum,dad,6 kids and either cousin or uncle)in a small 4brm house with the only living/dining area a room about 3x3 mtrs. All we could fit were 3 seater lounge, cabinet with TV on top, dining table in corner against 2 walls, and a large cabinet for my mums trinkets. We had no real choice but to sit where ever there was space, mum worked nights for a large period so us kids just had to sort our selves out (cook dinner and make dad come-in from workshop to eat, which he often didn't. I have a pretty good relationship with the family (mum and dad now deceased)1 brother,4 sisters.
When i married we ate in front of telly, when the kids (2) were close to school age we sat at table but with telly going (hubby wanted his news) and by the time they were through primary it was back on lounge in front of telly.
Now single i share a house with my adult son (daughter and friend live in a cottage in the backyard) and we do our own thing (my son has PC, consoles and telly all in his room and eats most meals there, i have PC in office and also eat mostly there. Once a week my son cooks a baked dinner and we watch a DVD while eating, i choose as they are from his collection of over 1000 so he is happy with whatever i choose.
I rarely watch regular TV, mostly use PC watching YouTube (docs, gaming, music)or playing games, reading about cooking/health etc.
The only time i feel its rude to put tech over people is eating out, my son is bad for this. He gets bored easily even though he is 28, and either plays with phone or ipad. We don't eat out very much.
Thank you very much :)
We try to avoid any type of screen (tv/ tablets) during dinner. I have 2 kids (6 and 2) who would never finish dinner if the tv was on. Slightly off topic but possibly relevant. Also noticed a few eye contact issues we suspect to be caused by being crappy parents and not putting down our devices enough when talking to the kids. I am making a conscious effort to put down devices and make more eye contact when talking to my kids.
Thank you :)
Well, for me its normally:
Dinner: in front of the tv
Lunch: in front of the tv
Breakfast: might check emails or web browse on my phone, but breakfast is usually too rushed for that (I arrange my time in the morning so I have not quite enough time to get ready for work. This means I'm rushed, but I'd rather that than get up earlier and waste time plodding around half asleep.
Oh, and for when I have lunch/dinner with the family, its no-tech.
If I'm at home , I'll play league of legends on the pc while I eat . If I'm out , I'll check Facebook , Instagram and make a short call to see how friends are towards completing the meal .
Thanks. Do you live with other members of your family?
We have all mobile phones turned off/silent before and during dinner. They get left in a basket in the kitchen on the way into the room for dinner, so as not to interrupt us. There is no TV or radio in the room we have dinner in (intentionally).
I eat my meals on my computer while i either watch tv shows or movies or gaming =D
I watch TV. It's the only time I ever watch TV as well.
I always eat dinner in front of the TV. I know I shouldn't, but it's too enjoyable and is the only time I watch TV. During lunch at work, I like to try and get out of the office because too often I'm stuck working through lunch anyway.
ETA: I'm single, but when I was with my ex-bf we'd always eat in front of the TV as well.
When I was growing up, we would often eat in front of the TV, with kids and adults eating at different times. It would inevitably end in a screaming match because Mum would be banging around in the kitchen and us kids couldn't hear the TV. There were also fights over whether to watch Neighbours or A Current Affair. On the rare occasions my Dad was home for work in time for 'kids dinner' at 6pm, my mum would insist we all sat at the dining table together with no TV on. This always prompted a lot of complaining/whining from us kids.
Thanks :)