The Impact of Allowing Kids to Watch Videos Loudly in Restaurants

The Missed Opportunity for Interaction and Learning

When parents allow their children to watch videos on full blast in restaurants, they miss a crucial opportunity to interact and teach valuable life skills such as patience and self-soothing. Mealtimes can serve as a significant family bonding period, where parents can engage in meaningful conversations with their children, teaching them how to behave appropriately in social settings. By substituting this time with screen entertainment, parents may inadvertently hinder their child's social development.

Moreover, the noise from devices blaring videos or games is often more piercing and harder for the brain to filter out compared to human conversation. This can create an unpleasant dining experience for other patrons who are subjected to the disruptive sounds. The atmosphere of a restaurant, which is meant to be a place of relaxation and enjoyment, can quickly turn chaotic due to the loud noises emanating from a tablet or smartphone.

The Decline of Public Etiquette Among Children

In today's society, it is becoming increasingly common to see children behaving poorly in public settings. At a recent dinner party, a father allowed his daughter to blast kids' shows on an iPad, making it difficult for others to converse. Even when guests moved to a different area, the father followed with his daughter and her loud iPad, further disrupting the gathering. Such incidents highlight a growing trend where children are not being taught the importance of respecting others in shared spaces.

Some parents argue that screens are necessary to keep kids quiet during meals, but this approach may come at the cost of their social development. Mealtimes should be viewed as family time and an opportunity to teach children proper social behavior. By allowing children to run or yell in restaurants or use loud devices, parents may be neglecting their role in helping their children learn to sit nicely and interact politely with others.

Polite Solutions to a Common Problem

One polite way to address the issue of loud devices in restaurants is by offering a pair of headphones to the child using the device. Even if the headphones are not compatible, the gesture serves as a subtle hint that the noise is disruptive. This approach can help maintain a peaceful dining environment without directly confronting the parent or child.

Teaching a reactive child to self-soothe in a restaurant can indeed be a long, loud, and stressful process for everyone involved. However, some people might prefer listening to kids' shows over the noise of a child having a meltdown. It is essential for parents to find a balance that minimizes disruption while still addressing their child's needs.

The Broader Implications for Society

The presence of loud videos in restaurants is considered rude and annoying by many. Parents who do not use screens at mealtimes believe it helps children function better in society. They argue that the use of screens at mealtimes prevents meaningful family interactions and disrupts the dining experience of others.

The noise from devices can be especially irritating when it comes from bad speakers. There is a qualitative difference between the sounds of conversation and the noise from a device. Some parents believe that using screens at mealtimes is an excuse to avoid teaching children proper behavior. They argue that the use of screens at mealtimes is detrimental to a child's ability to interact and behave appropriately in social settings.

While screens can be a convenient tool for keeping children occupied, their use in public dining settings can have negative implications for both the child's social development and the dining experience of others. Parents should consider the broader impact of their choices and strive to use mealtimes as an opportunity to teach valuable social skills and etiquette.