What Happened to Dinnertime?

When I was a kid, smart phones and iPads didn't exist. I'm glad for their absence in my childhood because these devices are ruining one of the key foundations of families, dinnertime.

At dinnertime, we gathered together. It was mandatory, and it wasn't just a time to eat. It was a time to connect and be a family. We talked to each other, spoke of our day and were engaged in each other's lives. It was just as it should be, how it should always be.

This "family glue" is sadly breaking down. When eating out, I can't help but see parents paying no attention to their children, and children doing the same to them. They do not communicate, and for the duration of the meal they are strangers. The substance of any emotional bonds are relinquished in favor of Facebook and Fortnite.

Will tightly-knit families be a lost relic in years to come? Have people forgotten the nurturing that is needed to maintain these complex relationships? Such connections require a lot of facetime, and that's really what dinnertime is.

Now here's where I ask you a favor. Next time you're with your family, sharing a meal, unplug. Please. There's nothing on the internet that's more important than that individual sitting across from you. Talk to them. Connect with them. Facebook can wait, but being a family cannot.