So you’re at a restaurant with someone that you really enjoy spending time with. You’ve both had a long week and so you’ve made plans to go out and share a meal together. Once you’ve both arrived at the restaurant, your hostess brings you to your table to seat you, and then hands you your menus to review all of their options. Once you know what you want to order, you put down your menu and. . . take out your smartphone?
Where’s the conversation? More and more people are probably in the habit of doing this. Going out for a meal with friends or family, and after following the customs of eating out, instead of actually talking to the person or people that their with, they pull out their smartphone to find out what people, who they aren’t with, are doing? Wasn’t the reservation made for you and the person or people that you’re with? Why does your smatphone have more control over yourself than you have over yourself?
It’s not a bad thing to take a moment and check your messages, or social media updates, especially if you have something urgent or pending that you’re waiting for. If though you’re doing it to break the silence that you’re currently experiencing, don’t make a move for your smartphone, make a move to start a conversation with the person or people that you’ve scheduled time to be with and eat with. They’re the priority. They’re real, and they want and deserve your attention. Your “smartphone people” will be there to check in with after your meal or at another time. Live and eat in the moment!