This New Restaurant Trend Could Never Work in Connecticut – No Phones?

According to Fox News, some restaurants around the country are experimenting with a pretty wild idea: getting people to put their phones away while they eat.

Think about that for a second. You walk into a restaurant, sit down at your table, and instead of immediately putting your phone next to your plate, you're actually expected to NOT look at it for a while.

There are a few different ways restaurants are trying this. Some are using lockable pouches, while others are simply creating areas where customers agree to keep their phones out of sight. Some businesses are even offering a little incentive to encourage people to participate, like a free dessert, drink or other perk.

A few restaurants have gone even further and made phone use against the rules. That probably makes more sense in a small, quiet restaurant where somebody watching TikToks at full volume can ruin the entire atmosphere.

And I actually understand the argument. We've all been out to dinner with somebody who spends more time staring at their screen than talking to the people sitting across from them. At some point, you're not really having dinner together anymore.

But would this work here in Connecticut?

I don't think so.

Connecticut people cannot handle awkward silence. We're constantly moving, checking messages, answering emails, multitasking and convincing ourselves we're somehow saving time. Then you put us in a comfortable chair with another human being and there's five seconds of silence, and we're immediately reaching for the phone.

It's basically a comfort blanket for the overwhelmed. We say we want to relax, but apparently, we need a screen in our hand to make sure we're doing it correctly.