Term: Shared seating arrangements.
Appearance: Long, uncomfortable and back in fashion.
The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Only Acceptable Place for Long Benches is the School Canteen
Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? The younger generation, apparently. According to data from the dining booking company Resy, "Nine out of ten of young adult patrons say they enjoy communal tables, versus just 60% of boomers".
I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People
Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the WWII, in fact – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, backed by Winston Churchill.
I Suppose It Made Sense When Food Was Scarce, What's the Appeal Today?
This might seem strange to you, admittedly, but shared dining can be enjoyable! As Pablo Rivero notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"
The “Fun” of An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly That Their Therapist Revealing They Are an Empath
Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a nano-influencer capturing you in the background in their video while eating a salad? You have to remember: young adults – the most digitally connected group, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse behind the rise of youth running groups, group hikes and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.
I Prefer Dining in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths Found in Japan.
This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (Nearly half of them, according to an Oxfam survey released this summer). In a 2023 US report , one-third of men aged between 18 and 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn’t it a good thing they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people?
I Suppose. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness
Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Plus the Resy data points out another advantage: 14% of survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a shared meal event. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this offers a chance for a unplanned "meat-cute".
I Hate That Pun Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.
My work here is done.
Appropriate comment: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."
Don’t say: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."
