We’ve become conditioned to being connected to our devices. Facebook, Pinterest, WhatsApp & Instagram keep us connected, engaged and informed with a constant bombardment of information. We’ve convinced ourselves that we need to be contactable at all times. We need to always be at an arm’s-reach of our phone, or instantly reply to social media alerts or SMS. Our digital habits feed the false premise that the earth will stop rotating if that tweet isn’t read or that text isn’t answered immediately. And this is the biggest misnomer.

Our smart phones and devices seem to have invaded our personal life. And our most treasured family moments aren’t immune to this technological invasion either. We're sitting down to dinner and - buzz, buzz! - our phone starts vibrating, vying for attention. We're driving our kid to school and - beep, beep! - a call comes in. We're tucking our kid into bed and - squawk, squawk! - an app begs to be played.

We’ve become so attached to our screens and gadgets that the lines are blurring when it comes to times and spaces where screens don’t need to go. The result is that conversation with nearest and dearest is killed, in favour of digital communication with friends.

We need to establish clear lines of demarcation when it comes to specifying places where digital devices simply don’t go. Places where our conversations aren’t truncated by flashes, alerts and notifications. A dedicated place where we can really connect with people, not pixels.

And dinner time is the one time when we need to disconnect from technology and reconnect with our family. Imagine a dinner table where everyone is engaged, laughing and connecting. I am sure we would all love this for our families.

What does this mean?

Dinnertime is more than just about food. Family meals are for nourishment, comfort and support. It is a premise where you can build love, deepen relationships and family bonding. It is a place where you can laugh and share stories from the day. Everything from better grades to a healthier lifestyle have been credited to eating together as a family. Screens at the table can block those benefits. To make dinner a relaxing, bonding experience, it may be necessary to put the technology on hold while we’re eating.

Because amazing things happen when we choose to eat food with the people we love!

I encourage you to make your dinner table a Tech Free Zone.

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