Dining room is actually a room designed to have the whole family come together and eat "Together" using the dining table.

I realize that the dining room is as good as dead. Architects of modern houses leave a space at the corner of the “living” room with the implication that if you are old-fashioned enough, you can take the trouble to squeeze a table and some chairs into it under the illusion that someone will actually use it for eating.

Yeah we still have dining room or dining section which ever you have in your home, but how well do we make use of the dining table?
Often, sometimes, frequently, once in a blue moon or during festive periods, yeah Christmas day or birthdays?

The traditional essence of having the whole family dine together is going into extinction due to various reasons.

I am going to point out two major reasons behind the slow death of our beloved dining room, they are:

1. Television.

You can just assume that laps, the coffee table, and television will combine to create a dining scene for the family. After all, who bothers to sit around a table especially if there is an opportunity to watch your favorite movie channels, music channels or soap opera (Telemundo, Game of thrones)? Yes, if anything is guilty of murdering the dining room, it is the family television.

In addition, there is increasing evidence that when we are distracted, we eat more. Our waistlines expand not because we are greedy, but because we just don’t notice how much we’re shoveling down.

"People who watch television while eating also tend to be unaware of how much they eat, which encourages overeating."

Verdict: Guilty!

2. Social Media.

In fact the internet in general has caused more harm than good to the death of the dining room. The emergence of social networking is really a double edge sword and really does make us less social if we are not careful.

Social networking is making it much more unlikely for us to interact with people face-to-face. Even if you go out with your friends to a restaurant or bar, you will often see your friends on their cell phones connected to Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites. People are becoming unable to connect with people in person and find it easier to connect with people virtually.

Even while sitting at the dining table with our family members, we still hold on to our gadgets pinging, tweeting or chatting with some virtual friends miles away.

Verdict: Guilty!

The decline of the dining table is therefore no trivial matter. It marks a decline in the attention we pay both to other people and our food. There have been many campaigns to encourage people to eat better, based around ideas such as five-a-day, reduced fat and cooking more. Perhaps as much or more could be achieved simply by encouraging people to make sure they sit down at a table. Once they do that and so start paying attention to what they’re eating, maybe other desirable eating habits will follow naturally.

However, the best part of the dining room is the way it enables a family to be together, make eye contact, share the tears and triumphs of the day, and generally share “quality time” without even thinking about it.

I would like to read your views about the slow death of the dining room.

kindly click on the link below to comment and read more articles from my blog. Thanks.

http://www.designspaceltd.net/2014/07/the-death-of-dining-room.html

Op, I just love the title you gave this thread, I actually miss 'table talk' with family, it brings out such fun and closeness.

True talk op.
Back in the days, family members gathered to eat. It was a fun to have and beauty to hold. No thanks to the highlited friends in disguise, they have marred the joy of some families.

Abeg mod move this topic to front page very interesting

Nice topic. Yea mealtimes used to be so interesting not like what we have these days.

egopersonified:
Op, I just love the title you gave this thread, I actually miss 'table talk' with family, it brings out such fun and closeness.

Thanks, yes you are right about that

I love your thread and the way you put it together. But as a child I hated the dining cos its where you are always reprimanded for any offence you committed. Scolding you with words and some other times too there are really some important discussions that you are not allowed to contribute your opinion simply because you are not yet an adult.
Things wont be that way in my home

Is it really necessary to have a dining room? What is wrong with a dining area? Both of them will have table and chairs which is what is essential to the communal meal.

LordReed:
Is it really necessary to have a dining room? What is wrong with a dining area? Both of them will have table and chairs which is what is essential to the communal meal.

Dining area, dining room still serve the same purpose. The thread is really about having meals together as a family.

designspaceltd:


Dining area, dining room still serve the same purpose. The thread is really about having meals together as a family.

Well you almost sounded like the only way to have a proper family meal is in a dining room and if you don't have one then you won't enjoy a proper family meal.