DITCH reporter Mia shares her phone-free dinner experience, and realises how often we scroll mindlessly while our food gets cold instead of enjoying real company
It’s not often that I find myself away from my phone for more than a few minutes, let alone an entire evening. But this week, I had a memorable and refreshing dinner out with two of my friends – and the best part? No phones allowed.
Let’s be honest, when was the last time you ate your food before your phone got a chance to “eat” first? You know the drill; every meal has to be documented and shared before you take a bite. I’ve heard my friends exclaim, “No, no, please, can I take a picture before you eat!” one too many times. It’s like our phones are the VIP guests at dinner, getting their own personal photoshoot while we wait patiently for our turn to dig in.
So, I decided to break the habit for an evening and enjoy the meal and company without the distraction of snapping the perfect BeReal…
We pre-arranged a specific location and time to meet, as the challenge meant none of us could use our phones. To be honest, I even found this part hard. I am so used to checking my friends’ locations every second of every day, I forget how stalker-ish it is. So, we gathered under a steel sculpture that looms over Cardiff’s high street at 17:10 and wandered into our favourite restaurant, Wagamama.
Inside dim yellow lighting and the comforting noise of soft-spoken chatter from other customers greeted us as we weaved in and around tables. The air was filled with spicy smells of teriyaki chicken and firecracker curry as we were shown to our cosy table in a corner of the restaurant.
The first few minutes felt a little strange with no phones in sight. No checking Instagram while waiting for our food. No texting during the meal.
At first, it was hard not to glance at my phone instinctively, especially when a text vibration could be felt from my back pocket. But after a few moments, the feeling of missing out faded.
I think what I loved most about this challenge was how naturally the conversation flowed. We weren’t distracted by the buzzing screens, or listening half-heartedly while scrolling. There was no checking the time, or seeing if that person had finally replied to your message from an hour ago. Instead, it was relaxing as we laughed, told stories and reminisced about the awful student house we once shared. We were able to be fully present with each other. It was almost like a relief, a break from the constant ‘stuff’ we consume all day long.
For the first time in a while, I noticed my friends and I making eye contact more often, which sounds kind of silly, but it felt meaningful.
The impact of our phone-free dinner isn’t just anecdotal. A study by mobile network testing company Global Wireless Solutions found a massive 71% of Brits admitted to using their phones at the dinner table to check social media feeds, message family or friends and take photos of their food.
It’s clear many of us have become so accustomed to having our phones within arms’ reach it’s hard to imagine a meal without them. The same study revealed 80% of people who admitted to using their phones while dining also get irritated when they see others doing the same. Our phone addictions are not just a matter of convenience. It seems many of us subconsciously crave looking at our screen, even if we think it’s an awful habit.
When it was time to pay, I realised I couldn’t pay without my phone. The use of Apple Pay has become second nature to me, something which I should have thought of before this experience. To our relief, one of my friends had her physical bank card with her and could pay the bill. As she tapped her card we gratefully promised to transfer her the cash owed once we were home.
As we finished paying for our meal, we noticed a few things about the people around us. The dad sat at the table next to us, surrounded by his children, kept picking up his phone and avidly scrolling. But the couple next to us didn’t touch their phones once, except when it was time to pay. It was almost like a little unspoken social experiment happening around us, highlighting just how rare it is to see people truly disconnect from their phones in public.
My friends’ comments on our phone-free dinner:
“You find yourself digging into the conversations more because you’re fully invested.”
“I enjoyed not going on my phone as much, as whenever I go out to eat and socialise with people, out of habit I find myself reaching for my phone as I do go on it a lot during the day. Without the temptation to check notifications, we were able to focus entirely on each other.”
So try DITCHing your phone at dinner, it tastes better without a screen in your face.