Using cell phones and electronic devices at a dinner function - rude or ok?

[maxwinedog]

Many tell me its fine to be texting or checking your email at the dinner table in a dinner function. Others say not even the cell phone should be taken out of your pocket once until its over and that its extremely rude and inconsiderate....what you think? i brought my ipad with me to the table last night at a function with over 1000 ppl and saw nothing wrong with it. Aside from the 2 old ladies at my table, everyone else was extremely anti social and totally didnt want no part of the function, so i figured why bother keep trying to start convo with them if theyre not interested.. Everyone I could tell just wanted to get it over with and go home. So i just focused on something else thats beneficial to me to pass the time.

[ExtraSlow]

rude.

[project240]

Depends how close you are with the people I think as well as what the function is.

To me, I find it a bit on the rude side to be constantly checking your phone or texting while out. With that being said, I've got no problem with a person checking their phone once in awhile. I've got a friend who constantly is messaging people, on his phone when I've been over at his house helping him with something or out eating, etc. I find it quite annoying... especially when I'm over at your house helping you with your project, yet I'm the one doing all the work because you find it more important to text/chat than finish your project.
/rant

Would you invite people over to your house and then sit and talk on the phone while they are over?

[nismodrifter]

Annoying as fuck

[redline]

rude

[spikerS]

fucking unplug man. buy a couple rounds for the table and everyone will loosen up and you might get laid.

[rob the knob]

ipad? rude!

if dinner is with family then you shouldnt pull out your phone. if you are with friends and special occaison then leave the phone away. if with friends at pub then ok.

weindog, what were you checking on you ipad?

Originally posted by maxwinedog
Many tell me its fine to be texting or checking your email at the dinner table in a dinner function. Others say not even the cell phone should be taken out of your pocket once until its over and that its extremely rude and inconsiderate....what you think? i brought my ipad with me to the table last night at a function with over 1000 ppl and saw nothing wrong with it. Aside from the 2 old ladies at my table, everyone else was extremely anti social and totally didnt want no part of the function, so i figured why bother keep trying to start convo with them if theyre not interested.. Everyone I could tell just wanted to get it over with and go home. So i just focused on something else thats beneficial to me to pass the time.

[J-hop]

really surprised people actually have to ask this, has our society degraded so badly that people would rather plug in than have actual human contact. I don't buy your claim everyone was being "anti-social" and even if they were, you don't want to look like the rude one so break out of your shell and try to make conversation (no matter how difficult). If I invited you to a dinner function and you brought your ipad I'd ask you to leave.


You also have to consider, the previous generation, who didn't grow up with computers, are still the ones running shit. They grew up in a generation where you sat up straight at the table, chewed with your mouth closed, didn't talk with your mouth full and kept your elbows off the table. Some how my generation (im 25), can't seem to grasp those simple concepts, and worse they are tuning out everyone during the meal with electronics.

I don't even like checking my phone when out with people. If my phone rings while out with friends I don't answer it unless its family, people will leave a message if its really important. People always say "what if someone is calling in an emergency"..well I hope to hell the person is smart enough to call 911 before calling me.......


I actually have a good example of this, my parents host events at our cabin, last year they had 20+ people out for a weekend. One of the husbands decided he would spend dinners/social time sitting on his blackberry. My parents were very offended by this as they had provided, food, entertainment and accommodation for the weekend. Needless to say this person has not been asked back this year....

[derpderp]

Yep, it is very rude and despite what J-hop says the youth I know seem to understand this concept, at least at dinner time.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by derpderp
Yep, it is very rude and despite what J-hop says the youth I know seem to understand this concept, at least at dinner time.

yea see I think this concept goes beyond dinner though, one of my biggest pet peeves is when I'm driving friends somewhere (like to go out for dinner) and one of them is having a text convo while everyone else is chatting in the car. Check your texts when you get home, simple as that, nothing profound ever gets said via text anyways haha

[WhippWhapp]

Breaking bread with someone and pulling an ipad out... ? FFS- think about what you are asking here!

[spike98]

RUDE! Even if you are a bigwig at a multimillion dollar company and you are expecting a call from a highdollar client you keep that shit on vibrate and leave the room before you answer. Excuse yourself politely and duck into the bathroom.

[Tik-Tok]

Rude.

Only time I whip my phone out to use the internet during a dinner function, or even dinner out with my wife, is if we're both wondering about something specific, and I look it up.

[core_upt]

I don't see anything wrong with it. Hell, before the iPad, I used to bring books, an art set and some board games to dinner functions. If people aren't going to talk, I'll bust out some Yahtzee or get through a few chapters of War and Peace.

That's acceptable, right? /sarcasm

[Unknown303]

I hate when electronics are busted out at the table, although i have done it before. Generally i think its best to leave them alone.

[ddduke]

It all depends. There's lots of old guys here so they're probably out of touch with current society.

If you're on a date: no phone
Business meeting: no phone
Family: your choice, they won't cut you off anyways
Lunch/dinner with work mates: totally fine
Large seminar/social event with tons of people: totally fine

It also depends what you're doing on your phone/ipad. I get emails a few times an hour and calls non stop between 9am and 6pm. I'm not going to try to make someone else happy and potentially fuck myself over with work because they think it's rude. Same with my gf, she understands that I pay for almost everything and I'm paying for the dinner she's about to eat, so she better be cool with me taking calls/emails while we eat or otherwise she can foot the bill for everything from now on.

Edit:
I also goto a lot of sales/business/marketing seminars and at every single one as I look around every single person has their hands under the table playing with phones.

[msommers]

Dinner function? Work related? Rude and unprofessional.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by J-hop


yea see I think this concept goes beyond dinner though, one of my biggest pet peeves is when I'm driving friends somewhere (like to go out for dinner) and one of them is having a text convo while everyone else is chatting in the car. Check your texts when you get home, simple as that, nothing profound ever gets said via text anyways haha

I've thrown headphones out the window before when I've been driving and somebody has put them in their ears. Like, what?

[Xtrema]

No phone/text during any group gathering unless it's life and death.

[Troll-ol]

If the people at the function are boring , I would for sure use my phone and If they don't like it can pound sand. If the people are somewhat socialable and you're having a conversation it would be rude to
Pull out your phone or iPad and use it. Big pet peeve is when I'm with one person and she is constantly on her phone...