Screen time is 'killing the family dinner chat', survey shows - 9 questions to restart the conversation
Children are having to tell their parents to put their phones down at the table too 👀
- A new study has found that only about one in three British families sit down to eat together every day
- Screens are creeping into mealtimes - with 77% of families eating with phones at the table
- Two thirds of children would rather eat in front of the TV than with a parent
- A popular children’s magazine has launched a new conversation starter series to help families reconnect over the dinner table
A once-cherished family tradition that has sparked many a family discussion appears to be on the decline - and our fixation with screens may be to blame.
A recent study commissioned by The Week Junior - a current affairs magazine for children - surveyed 2,000 British families with children aged between 8 and 16. It found that just one in three of them (32%) still sat down to eat together every day, and when they did have dinner as a family, one in four didn’t talk to each other at all.
Phones and other screens may be side-lining family conversations at dinner time, the researchers suggest, coupled with often hectic schedules and a heavy news agenda some parents feel too daunted to discuss. Just three in 10 parents were confident they could explain the news in a reassuring, age-appropriate way.
More than three-quarters (77%) of families admitted to having phones at the table. Over half of children were actively on their devices while eating, while more than two-thirds (66%) told the survey they'd actually prefer watching TV or using a screen over having a conversation with a parent. But it's not just kids glued to screens - two in five (39%) children said they have had to ask their parents to put down their phones at the table.
But does it really matter if families aren’t talking during dinner, and if it’s something you’d like to encourage - how do you get the conversation started? Here’s what the The Week Junior and other experts had to say:
Why are family dinner discussions important?
Commenting on the study, child psychologist Dr Elizabeth Kilbey, said there were many benefits to family dinner conversations, from helping children’s development to opening their minds to new ideas.
The survey showed that the appetite for discussion was there too, as well as the appetite for dinner. A huge 82% of children said they would like the dinner table to be a place they could talk to their parents about what is happening in the world. Meanwhile, almost all parents said they’d be more strict about enforcing the rules if they knew it benefited their child - while 94% said they’d even learned something during these dinnertime discussions.
“In a world that's more connected yet increasingly disconnected, dinner time provides a powerful platform for fostering essential conversations and personal understanding,” Dr Kilbey said. These moments of shared dialogue were “crucial for building strong family bonds” and helping children build their critical thinking skills.
“It's these simple, daily interactions that can make a significant impact, not just in strengthening family ties but in cultivating a generation equipped to lead empathetically and thoughtfully,” she added. “Let's pave the way for a future where every voice is heard, starting right at home.”
How to encourage your child to chat at mealtimes
A number of experts actually recommend families make meal times entirely phone-free to help children curb their screen time. But they say adults need to lead by example by ditching their own devices too. and being fully present.
The Week Junior’s editor, Vanessa Harriss, said that children were naturally imaginative and curious - and asking questions that invite them to reflect, dream, imagine, investigate or discuss can be a great way to get them to open up.
“In our fast-paced daily lives, being able to spend time together as a family can be a challenge - and the digital distractions are ever more insistent,” she said. “As our research shows, quality time spent together over the dinner table is vital for families. Whether it’s chatting about everyday things or discussing what’s going on in the news, these family conversations boost children’s development and their wellbeing.”
As part of the magazine’s 10th anniversary celebrations, The Week Junior is expanding in size - adding new pages every week. To encourage everyone to talk a little more as families, these will include conversation starters for both young readers and their parents. Here are a few for parents they have shared:
- “Which three words do you think best describe you?”
- “If you could visit any country, what would it be - and why?”
- “If you had one wish, what would it be?”
- “Who’s someone you look up to, and why?”
- “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
- “What makes you a good friend?”
- “What’s one thing you would like to know more about?”
- “What’s your favourite animal, and why?”
- “If you were in charge of the country, what would you do?”
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