Phones at the Dinner Table

Last Sunday, I had dinner with my family. There were six of us at the table, but nobody was talking. My brother was watching a video, my sister was sending messages, and my dad was checking the soccer results. And me? I was looking at my phone too.

I think this is a big problem. Dinner is often the only time of the day when the whole family is together. However, when we use our phones, we are at the table, but our minds are somewhere else.

There are other reasons too. Firstly, eating with a phone in your hand is bad manners. Secondly, people who stop looking at screens enjoy their food more. Finally, children learn from their parents. If parents can't stop checking their phones, why should children?

So what should we do? My suggestion is simple: try one phone-free week. Before dinner, put all the phones in a box in another room. At first it may feel strange, and you will want to check your messages. But don't give up.

My family tried it last month. On the first night, nobody knew what to say. By the fourth night, we were laughing and telling stories again. Now the box lives in the kitchen. Why don't you try it too?