Something happened to dinner table conversation.
You used to sit down, look at the person across from you, and talk. Whether that person was a friend, colleague, or significant other, it felt like you could just talk. In Spain, they call it sobremesa.
Today, most dinner-table conversations are littered with interruptions. Every time you sit down for a meal, your attention is taken hostage by a ding, a screen lighting up, or a vibration on your wrist. To save face, you cleverly sneak a look under the table while the person across from you continues speaking...
“They can’t tell I’m looking at my screen… can they?”
We've started to normalize this behavior. This shit is not normal.
Consider all the dinners you've attended in the last year. Ask yourself what you've missed out on in those conversations due to interruptions. Personal devices are great, but their grip will slip. Admit it, devices once 'helpful' and 'convenient' are now distracting and annoying as fuck.
You used to sit down, look at the person across from you, and talk. It's time to get back to that.
Introducing Sobremesa — distraction free dinner.
- Disconnect.
- Talk with other humans.
- Break bread.
The first city to launch Sobremesa is Austin, TX. More cities coming soon.
Stay tuned.
— Nicolas Canosa