Food plays a significant role in bringing people together. Dinner time is sacred and sitting down to enjoy a meal with your loved ones builds stronger emotional bonds between family members as values are caught, not taught. As part of a television campaign, Royco is on a mission to encourage Mzansi families to switch off their devices for quality family time around their dinner tables.
Social media, work, and an endless variety of entertainment are available to us through our devices. As a result, we have trouble maintaining real-life connections with our family and friends.
Family therapist Anne Fishel, executive director of the Family Dinner Project, reported that only 30% of families eat together.
It also suggests those who prioritise family dinners are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and eating disorders.
Benefits of family dinner time
The benefit of enjoying a family meal without distractions is that it creates a safe environment where tough conversations can take place, allowing you to tackle daily life stresses together. In addition, mealtime creates a space where happy moments are shared and loved ones can laugh together.
According to a separate report, children who sit down and connect with their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings are more likely to have improved mental health, perform better academically, and have higher self-esteem.
“Our TV ad aims to capture the magic that happens when we disconnect from external distractions and take the time to sit down over a meal and reconnect. Studies show that our overwhelming lifestyles are chipping away at family life,” says Vickey Kahn, food portfolio manager at Mars.
“In a world that has never been more connected, families are leading separate lives while living under one roof, in separate rooms, and on separate devices, and as a result, have lost true connection with each other. We believe in the power of dinner time to get people to sit down and share a meal.”
Making mealtime a no screen zone
Kahn adds that Royco recognises that sitting down to enjoy a meal together is one of the healthiest habits for a family.
“That is why Royco commits to taking the hard work out of cooking so that you can spend more time with your loved ones. We’re bringing back the family dinner, and we’re declaring it a sacred space – a no-screen zone.”
