“For the past several centuries the bonding power of the family dinner table has been one of the few constants, and now it's binding no more. The potency of the media is now stronger than that of the family. The wonder is that families still exist at all, since the forces of modern life mainly all pull people away from a family centered way of life.” - Larry McMurtry

Screens at the Table: Finding Balance Between Tech and Togetherness

Family Meals: To Have Screens or Not To Have Screens

Family meals were once a constant place for family bonds to be strengthened and a place to connect each day. Growing up the choice was easier to make. In my early childhood screens were still mostly a desktop computer and the television. Once it was time to eat those things had to pause and they were devices that for the most part would stay in one place and couldn't go anywhere. It was a choice of either leave the screens behind or make it a family movie night. Those times have changed though for while I was still growing up a new option started to present itself, mainly tablets and smartphones. It is no longer a choice of leave everything behind or everyone gather round; the new choice is individual screens for each individual person, portable enough that they can all come to the dinner table. What does that do to family connection? You tell me. 

A Matter of Choice

It is time to consider what you want for your family. If you leave everything up to chance it is highly likely that at every meal a screen will be present around the family table. It is so easy that you will have to make an intentional decision. Perhaps for your family you choose to have no screens around the dinner table on Friday evenings and you are intentional to build connection during that time. For some the answer is to avoid all screens around the dinner table. There is no one size fits all but we can all benefit from awareness of what we are doing and making a choice for our family. 

In the End… It's About Connecting

Meals are more than just nourishment—they're about spending time together, connecting in fellowship, creating joyful moments and building family ties. So gather your loved ones, enjoy your meal, and make memories!