Do people not TALK to each other when they go out anymore??

Bumpmakesfour

We just took the three kidlets out to a local restaurant for dinner and whilst we were there I noticed something that seems to be growing more and more common these days and that bothers me tbh.
The family next to us sat down with a son about DS' age(9) and a slightly older girls plus mum and dad.The son was firmly plugged into his 3DS,headphones in and the daughter had her iPod,headphones in.Kind of normal I guess until the mum pulled out an iPad and started browsing and the dad was very engrossed in his iPhone.Even when the food arrived the kids and mum sat eating one handed,headphones still in and the dad took several calls on his phone.I swear that in the 40mins they were there they said literally a handful of words to each other and I actually felt really sad that to some families that would be "normal"
Hubby and I also had a very rare night out last week and we went to a lovely little italian.We're chatterboxes and best friends anyway so there's rarely a quiet moment but we looked around and both noticed several couples who sat,ordered,ate and exchanged so few words,then immediately left...in the time it had taken us to order and eat our starters.
Is the art of conversation dead?Has modern technology replaced a nice chat around the dinner table?Are we old fashioned and "odd" because we actually ENJOY each others company and still have things to talk about??
We look forward to going out as a family,we have a real laugh tbh and must seem really noisy to the silent families at other tables!
I appreciate that tweens/ teens want to take DS' and iPods out but !!!!!! surely it's not too much to ask for them to remove headphones whilst they eat?Guessing not if both the mum and dad are merrily tap tapping away at the same time
So is going out to eat a social occasion for you to catch up and enjoy each others company?Or is it something you do just to save you cooking and you get home ASAP?

folkestonelisa

OMG That is sad.

We are off our for hubbys birthday on Wednesday and we are going to our local pub, where we will have a great time, talking to each other (kids are 10 and 19) and others in the pub.

Mind you we still eat dinner together with conversation each night at home.

I think that it is the sign of the times now:(

Caroline_a

Kids wearing ipods/playing games whilst eating at a table are just bad manners. It sounds as if the parents were setting a bad example too!

Mine had to put away toys etc before we ate, and turn the tv off. Mind you, sometimes I wonder if it was the right decision... they never shut up when they're together now!! :rotfl:

jackieblack

As you say, sadly, this seems to be increasingly common.

DD(15) appears to be super-glued to her 'phone most of the time but I have a rule that 'phones are not brought to the dining table at any mealtime.

Although sharing a family meal together around a table seems to be a dying convention as well!

Riversong

I talk to my toddler all day, I'd hate to end up like that. It's very sad and possibly even damaging to development especially young children x

FatVonD

It's the same on pubic transport nowadays too, I look around and the majority of the train carriage is plugged into some kind of technology or other. I recall making friends with people on the train when I was in my teens and 20s but the youth of today (God, I just turned into my parents!) seem to feel they don't exist unless every aspect of their life is fully documented on Facebook or Twitter, it's really sad.

victory

Don't get me started on this one:mad: eldest had to have a very important coversation with him the other day, the whole time he never looked at me once while he had his head down on facebook:mad: I flipped, told him he was ignorant and rude and and and:rotfl: he was like What is the prob? Stupid boy.

A while ago we went out to a castle, it was a beautiful day, the single dad in front of us had a teenage daughter and the son was about 9, the daughter did nt see a thing, nothing, she was the whole time on her mobile and the 9 year old was on his ds, waste of ticket entrance price, this constant checking for texts, facebook, being on the mobile, playing games, drives meinsanse, all that has def been banned at home, I can't tolerate it.

Even OH knows, because to go out just us and to put your mob on the table to check incase it rings and answer if it does sends me crazy so it does not happen now:D

rinabean

Sign of the times? Due to technology? Maybe they just prefer to eat their meal without talking and to focus on the food. I doubt they would have been any more talkative 50 years ago.

I'm like you, I love talking while we're eating. And we don't eat out much, so we would be celebrating something if we were out, so we'd definitely be talking. Some people just don't care much for it, though. My husband is one. He doesn't dislike talking at the table, but he doesn't care if we're not chatting at every meal. Just personal preference. It doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy my company or he doesn't know how to make conversation or anything else. It's not sad in the slightest.

(I sort of wonder if it's to do with speed of eating - my family talked a lot at the table and we absolutely inhale our food. His family prefer to sit quietly in front of the tv and they eat very, very slowly. If they talked as much as I did, their food would surely go cold before they'd finished. But maybe they're not related and it's just coincidence in these cases.)

jamespir

if my child used an ipod/phone/whhile eating id put it in the water jug

loracan1

I'm no chatterbox, but if we're eating, either at home or in a pub/restaurant then phones aren't allowed (and one of them is a teen so he tries)

But...I'd be inclined to wear the earplugs even if not attached to a phone if on public transport.

BitterAndTwisted

The family you described are not normal. In any way, shape or form.