New research has shown that it is not a lack of time, but rather our obsession with technology that is getting in the way of family bonding.
A recent survey carried out in the UK reports that over a fifth (22 percent) of the 2,000 parents questioned believe that the prevalence of tech devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops at the dinner table is preventing them from spending quality time together during meals.
Unsurprisingly, the study revealed that it is children and teenagers who are the worst culprits of all when it comes to detaching from technology during family time, with just over a third (34 percent) of 5 to fifteen-year-olds regularly texting and tweeting at the dinner table.
And while getting our children to disengage from technology during family time is a difficult feat in and of itself, it appears that actually bringing them to the table is another challenge altogether. Indeed, 16 percent of those mothers surveyed admitted having to resort to texting their children in order to get them to sit down for a meal.
The adults do not emerge blame-free either however, with almost a half of those surveyed blaming the constant checking of emails at the table for taking away from time that could be spent engaging with their partners and children.
