Eating in front of screens may have several negative health effects. I tried eating every meal without a screen for a week.
Health and wellness touch everyone’s life differently. This is one person’s story. The views and opinions expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Healthline Media.
You may have seen the phrase “I can’t eat without YouTube” circulating around social media. While this is a funny comment, the sentiment underneath made me aware of something: I can’t remember the last time I’ve eaten a meal away from a screen.
After this revelation, I resolved to try to break this habit. Keep reading for the potential drawbacks of eating in front of screens, how I did this experiment, and if I would do it again — plus tips if you decide to try this yourself.
Several studies have linked increased screen time while eating to lower diet quality, greater consumption of unhealthy foods, and disordered eating.
A 2021 study found that spending more time watching TV while eating was associated with lower diet quality, including a greater consumption of sweets in children and sugar-sweetened beverages in adolescents.
The researchers also found that screen use while eating was linked with a decreased intake of:
A 2022 review of studies found that screen use while eating may lead to eating more.
A 2023 study found that toddlers who spent more time on screens while eating were at a greater risk of eating sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food, while lower screen time was associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake.
Another
Considering the above studies, I thought that removing screen time from meals could positively impact my eating habits. However, before I dive into my review, I wanted to provide some context on my typical eating habits and my setup for screen-free meals.
I generally eat two full meals per day: lunch and dinner. I usually eat these meals in front of the TV with my boyfriend. We tend to watch short-form content during lunch, like YouTube, and longer-form content during dinner, like a K-drama episode (these can be anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour, depending on the drama).
During this experiment, we sat at our kitchen table, which is angled away from the TV. We also removed our phones from reach, so we couldn’t pick them up in the middle of meals.
Since I have reached a point where I am not used to eating without some form of screen time, this experiment felt strange at first. Without the added stimulation from the TV, it felt like there was something missing.
However, the absence of screens allowed me to connect with my boyfriend more meaningfully. While sitting side-by-side watching TV during meals, we tend not to talk unless it is related to whatever we are watching. But sitting across from each other, face-to-face, meant we had to talk with each other — or eat in silence.
The first few meals tended toward the latter. Since we both work from home and have been living together for nearly four years, it was admittedly challenging to find a conversation topic beyond the usual “how was your day?”
But as we ate more and more meals at the table, conversation began to flow more easily. We talked about the news of the day, our friends and families, our jobs, and what we wanted to do on the weekends, to name a few things. Some of these weekend plans materialized, giving us an additional outlet for connection.
I also noticed that we ate more slowly at the table, perhaps because the lack of screens meant we were more focused on the food in front of us.
While I didn’t observe a change in how much I was eating, I did notice that I was more aware of the feeling of fullness afterward — something that I realize I am less aware of when there is something happening on a screen.
Yes!
This was an impactful experiment that helped me connect more meaningfully with my partner and slow down overall. In today’s fast-paced and increasingly tech-centered world, even small moments without screens can feel like a big difference.
Of course, I’m not perfect. Some days, when I’m running behind schedule or have a new episode I want to watch, I eat in front of the TV. But I feel that making a conscious effort to reduce this habit has had a positive impact on my overall health.
Tips
- If possible, try to angle large screens like TVs away from your chosen eating area. Keep remotes away from said area to remove the ability to turn on these devices during mealtime.
- Have a place for your phones and other mobile devices to go during your meals. This area should preferably be out of the way of where you are eating.
- If you are eating with someone, think of topics to discuss beforehand. Did something funny happen that day? Is there something you wanted to plan together? Having these ideas at the ready can help keep a conversation going and remove the urge to use devices.
Multiple studies have found that eating in front of screens can have various negative impacts on health. This includes lower diet quality and higher levels of disordered eating.
I found that eating without screens helped me to become more in tune with my partner and my own body. Removing screen time from meals is a small action that can be implemented with relative ease, and it has the potential to have a positive impact on your health.