We’ve all done it. Even if you’ve just got your phone out to get a picture of your meal for the ‘Gram, smartphones and tablets have become part of our dining experience.
Aiming to help families connect and reduce screen time at meal times, a new experiment has been launched to help children under the age of eight to experience dining without technology.
The Time Well Spent campaign, launched by the Early Childhood Authority in Abu Dhabi, will see screen-free zones established in some of the city’s most popular restaurants.
Diners can chose to participate in the experiment and deposit their phone in a pouch when arriving at the restaurant if they want to try it out.
In case of emergencies you can remove your phone from the pouch but you’re asked to step away from the table to use it.
After your meal, you can give feedback to help to campaign develop and post a picture on social media using the hashtag #TimeWellSpent (you’ll need your phone back for this part).
Participating restaurants in Abu Dhabi backing the campaign include Third Place Café, Sanderson’s, Jones the Grocer and No. FiftySeven Boutique Café.
More information is available at each of the venues.
