Modern Technology has put the Traditional Family Dinner on the Back Burner

Christian P. Davis

Professors Smith and Wells-Edwards

English 101 OL

May 25, 2011

Modern Technology has put the Traditional Family Dinner on the Back Burner

Past generations remember the evening family dinner when everyone would rush home to make sure they were on time as mom had the table set and a hot meal coming out of the oven.  This was not merely just a time to sit around the table and eat; it was a time for the family to bond through communication.  It is an important tradition that is disappearing for many due to an increase use of electronic devices.

            One of the biggest intruders into our family sit down dinners is the television. In past generations the television only had four channels and only was only allowed to be turned on a few days a week. The rest of the time structured activities provided the daily routine and kept positive communication within the whole family unit.  Television was only allowed to be turned on occasionally and only in the family room.  Today televisions have been placed in every room of the house and cable has brought in hundreds if not thousands of channels.  Gone are the days of appointed times for television.  This type of "special" occasion was outlined in the essay a Keillor A Wobegon Holiday Dinner on page (114) “The men wedged themselves along a blue sofa and on the floor and watched football on Al's snowy TV set.”  Even when the television was turned on it never took the place of the family meal.  Today a new dinner time tradition has been born, dinners in front of the television. Though families are in the same room during the evening meal, in a sense they're not. They are completely disconnected from one another emotionally are instead living through characters in episodes.

Portable electronic technology has also barged into our once exclusive ritual of dinning.  The basic form of communication has too often been pushed aside in favour of social media that can now be accessed on almost any type of portable device that can receive a Wifi signal.  Instead of hearing how dad’s day was at work or what was new at school, they seek the latest tweet from Lady Gaga or what Rebecca Black’s status is on Facebook. One example of this is written in a blog by Jaquette where she wrote about Facebook, “It is longing to see what everyone on your list is doing for the day”  This type of consistent distraction has already resulted in family members taking their food to eat in different rooms and being entertained by different devices.  It has also allowed parents to bring their work home with them.  This is not saying that they get off early and finish at home either.  Instead putting in a full day at work and then continuing on when they arrive home to their families.  In the past when Dad came home it meant it was time to exchange each other’s day, talk about your favorite sports team or just see what is new.  Now days you will find Dad sitting at the table with his IPAD or PDA working on a high a stressed project or timeline for work not speaking to any of his family.

            The internet also supplies a vast array of distractions from meal time together.  Searching the web or “googling” can occupy many hours of the day as well.  This time thief can spill into dinner time and take away any intention of using that time to converse with loved ones. In the past surfing would mean someone who likes to spend time out in the water in areas such as Hawaii and California.  These days net surfing means someone who likes to spend hours of the day searching the internet for new and exciting things. This can become habit forming for many who prefer to just grab a slice of pizza and a pop and return to their virtual world in search of the next latest and greatest gadget or the next up and coming media star.

            Modern gaming devices have interrupted this slowly fading family bonding time.   Some might argue that video gaming devices help bring families closer together.  Recently Nintendo released the Wii and soon after launched a very extensive media campaign depicting families gathered around the television all having fun.   The gaming impact is described well in Alter Egos: Avatars and Their Creators by Julian Dibble. On page (57) Rebecca Glasure writes, “I have a six year old daughter who's needed more of my attention lately, and because of that I have cut down on my playing hours a lot.” Later on she adds, “I would spend literally all day sitting at my computer. But now my daughter is getting older and I just don't have that luxury anymore.”  This describes a lack of bonding time together how gaming has taken away important interactions and focus of family events such as the evening meal. Instead the focus is made up charters who are out to explore strange and new worlds that are enhanced through games and its user’s imagination.

At stake is not only just the traditional family sit down dinner.  More importantly we are losing valuable time with each other in our families.  Opportunities to spend quality time with within the family circle will become fewer and fewer as the stresses of daily life will continue to increase.  Sadly, this is leading towards family members being lost in a fantasy world and losing all connection with those in their own home.  Instead of looking back remembering all the good times and funny conversations, memories will be filled with nothingness and hours wasted in self serving entertainment and slaving for organizations who will throw you to the curb when your salary no longer is included in the budget.

Work Sited

Latterell, Cathrine G. Remix: Reading and Composing Culture Second Edition Boston: New York Bedford/St. Martin’s 2010. Print.

Dibbell, Julian. “Alter Egos: Avatars and Their Creators.” Latterell 53-59.

Keillor, Garrison. “A Wobegon Holiday Dinner.” Latterell 112-116.

C., Jaquetta. “My On-Line Community”. Web 22 April 2011.