Sitting with my father at Jaspers, he made an observation: The room was full of groups of teens eating together, which to me was common and to him a sort of surprise. 

However,  both of us were dismayed to see necks craned at 90-degree angles, staring at their phones. 

It is evident that youth culture and dining culture blend together in a unique way, especially in the era of cell phones, where interactions with others have shifted so significantly compared to a time of less cellular dependence. There is no doubt dining culture has changed as well, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many small businesses and restaurants were forced to shutter during and after the COVID-19 surge, and food prices increased and have stayed high, according to Eater, an online food magazine. Some makeshift outdoor dining patios are still propped up in street parking spaces, and we sometimes still must (much to my frustration) scan a miniscule, laminated QR code on a table instead of reading a physical menu. 

Despite the physical effects of the pandemic on dining culture, we can see a psychological change as well. After years of dining in, ordering food from wherever we liked straight to our door and chowing down alongside digital entertainment in all of its various forms, some have shifted from dining being a social activity to a solitary one.

Is that really for the best?

As I watched my peers shovel pancakes into their mouths, thumbs tapping away at their phones, I reflected: how does my generation, one that has grown up with virtual media engagement coming at us from every angle, engage with each other? Especially in places like restaurants, where, traditionally, intimacy and conversation are crucial to the experience?

I believe that my generation appreciates the little luxury that is eating out. We just need to know how to do it better. 

When going out to eat, it doesn’t matter if it’s fast food or fancy food, going out with friends means eating well and laughing more. However, when we go out with people for the purpose of being together, we need to put the phone away. Doom-scrolling usually is a one-person activity anyways. 

But when we schedule a get-together, we make a commitment to focus our attention on those we choose to be around, even in a restaurant. Made memories are about the company and the food, not our phone. 

In 30 years, you won’t remember a funny Instagram Reel you showed your friend. But you will remember the meaningful conversations you had together and the meal you shared with them.