In modern reality, family members gather to share a meal less often. The main reason for this is schedule differences where some might be occupied with work or academic and extracurricular activities, as well as perhaps preferring another social group. I would argue it is a negative trend in our society.
Parents and children have different day-to-day schedules. Adults are occupied with their jobs, while children are busy with studying and extracurricular activities, making shared meals hard to manage. Furthermore, some people may prefer to share a meal with friends or colleagues, instead of family members. Because it’s a break from the dad or mom role for parents and for children it’s about independence. Therefore, it is challenging to catch a timing where all of family members are free to sit down and dine together, resulting in lesser shared meals in families.
In my opinion, families eating together less often is a negative trend for several reasons. Firstly, sharing meals allows parents to monitor their children’s emotional health. It is an effective and simple way to grow family bonds deeper, communicating and uniting in the process. Secondly, teens who eat with their families frequently tend to have lower rates of depression and substance use, mostly because they feel “seen” and supported daily.
To conclude, shared meals play an important role in families and I believe it is a tradition we should keep alive.