The great British family dinner – once the heart of household conversation – is now in sharp decline, according to new research.
Although the dinner table should be a space for conversation and connection, a quarter (25%) of families admit to not talking at all during dinner.
The research reveals that mobile phones and hectic schedules are sidelining family conversations at dinner time, while a heavy news agenda makes it even harder for parents to tackle topical discussions with their children around the table.
Screens are increasingly creeping into mealtimes, with over three-quarters (77%) of families admitting to having phones at the table.
Over half of children (51%) are actively on their devices while eating, and two-thirds (66%) say they'd actually prefer watching TV or using a screen over having a conversation with a parent.
However, it’s not just children who are drawn to their screens. Two in five (39%) children say they have to ask their parents to put down their phones at the table.
The study, which surveyed 2,000 British families with children aged between 8-16 years old, was commissioned by The Week Junior to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the UK’s only weekly news magazine for children. The magazine has launched a series of conversation chat starters to help families reconnect and rediscover the magic, and importance, of intergenerational dinner table dialogue.
Family dinners were once a staple of British life for many years, however, with the rise of technology and changing routines, it seems the tradition of the daily family dinner is fading, with just one in three (32%) British families sitting down to eat together every day.
A heavy news agenda adds another obstacle to conversation, with many parents feeling ill-equipped to navigate conversations in today’s complex world. While 82% of children say they want the dinner table to be a place they can talk to their parents about what is happening in the world, the same proportion of parents admit they don’t have these discussions regularly anymore.
In fact, seven in ten (71%) parents admit they struggle to know what to say in the face of today’s challenges, and only a third (33%) feel fully confident in explaining current affairs in a way that is accessible, accurate and reassuring.
The author and child psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Kilbey, says there are many benefits to the family dinner conversation,which includes helping children’s development and opening their minds to new ideas.
In today’s digital world, children are eager to engage too. Four in five (82%) say they want dinner to be a special time set aside exclusively for conversation with their parents. Most (88%) enjoy debating a wide range of topics, from global affairs to playground drama – and tellingly, the vast majority (83%) of children prefer having these conversations with their parents face-to-face at the table rather than over the phone.
Dr. Elizabeth Kilbey said: “In a world that's more connected yet increasingly disconnected, dinner time provides a powerful platform for fostering essential conversations and personal understanding.
Vanessa Harriss, Editor of The Week Junior, adds: “We know how imaginative and curious kids are. 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.
“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.”
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