Tablecloth With Smartphone Holder Reminds Us To Mind Our Table Manners

I read a statistic recently that said the average person touches his or her smartphone screen about 150 times each day. It’s crazy how much we depend on that little device that has changed our lives. It makes sense that our smartphones would accompany us in all our daily activities, and that even includes dinnertime. This modern day tablecloth addresses our smartphone use with its built-in smartphone holder meant to remind us to mind our table manners during meals.

It’s interesting how people have different opinions about smartphone use during dinner. People who typically dine alone like to have their smartphones handy, and there have been many quirky inventions with smartphone holders incorporated into them to make this easier. The Ramen Bowl is a great example of that.

On the other hand, when we are dining with guests, it’s typically considered rude to be on our phones during dinner. That is what this tablecloth attempts to fix. It will keep you from being tempted to get on your phone and instead focus on the conversation. At the same time though, it will keep your phone safe and sound nearby, neatly tucked inside the tablecloth.

Unfortunately, this tablecloth design is just a concept idea. It was created by an artist named Paula O’Connor who lives in Dublin. It’s based on a premise that dining with others is a special experience, and it should be celebrated. According to Behance, she writes, “Technology can dominate dining in a negative way. When groups of people eat together, mobile phones can often become unwelcome guests.”

Are you tempted by your smartphone while dining with others? If you could use a tablecloth with a built-in smartphone holder, would you? I suppose if you were a true addict, you would just reach over to the tablecloth, unzip the pouch, pull out your phone and check it. In order for this deterrent to be truly effective, it would probably need a lock on it, which would only unlock when dinner was over. Or, maybe we just need to muster some self-control and remember our table manners.