A new trend is rekindling the art of conversation away from new or old cell phones. Cell phone stacking is the name that has been given to the new trend where those who are sitting down for dinner place their cell phones in the centre of the table and must not touch it for the duration of the meal because the first person who does is stuck with the bill for everyone.
“It’s definitely a distraction from wanting to answer your phone or text or you know what you’re doing,” says Matt Lankford, the general manager of Joe Taco in Amarillo, Texas. “I think it’s a pretty cool idea unless you’re the first one that loses.”
The concept of cell phone stacking has got restaurant goers excited, not only at the prospect of actually talking to one another more instead of to their cell phones, but also inevitably at the prospect of possibly getting a free meal should someone buckle to the temptation.
“I think it’s neat, most of the time it’s annoying when people are playing on their phones and you’re trying to talk to them,” says Sara Scroggins. “I just think it’s a good way to go back to the old fashion way of doing things, where it’s just the people you’re with.” Some people have even begun to take the concept home and penalize either themselves or their children if they do the same thing during mealtimes.