I chose to look into my friend group and observe how we interacted while we were at the dining hall and compare that to what I saw going on around me. Three of my friends and I went to Russell for dinner. Over the course of sitting down and eating our meals, we were all barely on our phones and instead had a conversation. As Justin Timberlake songs came on, my one friend mentioned how he wanted to play them at his wedding and we ended up going on a tangent from there. At this meal, phone usage was limited as we were caught up in conversation. A few tables away from us, a table of girls were swaying to the music and enjoying themselves, rather than being completely engrossed in their phones. At a booth near us, two guys looked like they had come from the job fair and were having a conversation while staying mostly off their phones. Compared to other nights at the dining hall, people didn’t seem to be as into their phones as normal. They seemed more into the conversations they were having. As for my group, we were all taking part in the conversation and everyone seemed interested and was contributing. 

At most other meals, if my friends and I don’t have much to discuss from the day or any upcoming events, we tend to start using our phones. We may show each other something we are looking at or have brief conversations about something that we may remember but fully engaging conversations without any phone use at all is something that occurs less often than it should. As for the dinner without phones, it was a nice change from sometimes silent meals that my friends and I often find ourselves a part of. What seems like an anomaly for those that are a part of our generation is much more common place for those who grew up without the same technology we rely so heavily on. We should all try to put the phones down and have meaningful conversations with those around us.