Phones are the new cigarettes: why restaurants are discouraging and even banning them
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/sep/14/phones-are-the-new-cigarettes-restaurants-discouraging-banning-digital-devicesOpen linkView original on programming.dev
21 replies
To answer the first question posed. Would I hand a form of id and communication at the door of the bar for them to keep? No.
Are you crazy? Don't touch that. Like listen I don't go crazy like other people do, digital wallets, important 2fa, etc and of course it's encrypted at rest and locked but still no, don't touch that.
Its okay, I cant afford to go to restaurants unless I am working in one of them.
I interact with my boss and coworkers every day at work. Once a month me and my landlord get in touch about me paying rent. I personally think that is far more human interaction then I need.
...do people often go to restaurants to mingle...?
If I'm going to a restaurant with people, my phone's gonna be in my pocket because people. If I'm going to a restaurant alone, I'm definitely bringing my phone, because I doubt the people at the next table want to talk to me. That's what bars are for.
i feel like if you try to mingle at a restaurant you're going to get kicked out for disturbing others, lmao
Good rules. My spouse and I have a pretty firm no phone rule when we are out to dinner. It seems rude to be there with someone and then just ignore them.
I don't think I've ever formally discussed it with friends, I just remember reading somewhere that even just having a phone facedown on the table somewhere hurts conversation, so I make it a point to never bring it out. What others do is up to them.
Although if they're texting/scrolling the entire time, I don't think we're gonna hang out again.
Does face down phone hurt the convo? I do it as a deliberate statement (like "no phones right now"), otherwise it will vibrate in my pocket and disturb me. If it's on the table it feels better than pocket
To me: Not in room > bag > face down on table > pocket > face up on table > in hand
On iOS I use Focus a lot, but for things like theaters, restaurants, etc. the standard Do Not Disturb is enough, and if you use your calendar a lot (like I do so I can tap events on CarPlay to navigate) it’ll give you the option to deactivate the Focus after the event ends, when leaving, etc.
I read somewhere that it does. Just by virtue of having a phone visible makes people think about scrolling. Let's see if I can dig up where I read that...
Edit: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-brain-and-value/202103/the-psychology-of-the-face-down-phone
Note it's psychology today, not the research itself. Throwing the link up while I dig further.
Wow that's a really cool read. I guess I'll try to find something else to do with my phone. Maybe hide it under a tissue box or something! Haha
Edit: we made it a game where we find fun and creative places to hide our phones when having coffee with mates
The headline is nonsense. I don't give a damn if the guy at the next table is on his phone while I'm enjoying my meal, but I sure as hell do care if he's smoking..
I would care if he is doing something with sound, like watching tiktok brain rot
and the same applies if they're just talking to themselves, hell people who talk to each other loudly make my eye twitch slightly
yeah but swedish culture is publicly antisocial in nature
What is with that "article" format?? They're sometimes interviewing different people, and sometimes just asking themselves questions, which they then inelegantly answer.
How do I feel about it? I absolutely hate it.
Source: me
Waiting for the 5G and non-5G sections.
wish gyms and cinemas would also ban them
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema used to ban phones. But, they've fucked that up by switching to needing a phone to order drinks/food from your seat. 🙄
cinemas? yeah, there's not really anything you can do with a phone there that isn't incredibly annoying to everyone else.
Gyms? no, let's not make fewer people get the exercise they dearly need to stay healthy.
I get that you still take your cassette Walkman to the gym and therefore have no use for a phone there.
But normal people use their phones to play music on their headphones.