Gen Z doesn’t care for table manners — and refuse to stop doing this one rude thing during a meal

Alexandra Klausner
·3 min read
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Are you guilty of these poor table manners?
Are you guilty of these poor table manners?

It’s no longer hip to be a square.

Over half of Gen Z diners don’t think table etiquette is relevant anymore, according to a survey by restaurant group Prezzo.

The survey found that 77% of Gen Z diners didn’t care if people put their elbows on the table and 60% couldn’t care less about how someone holds their silverware, Yahoo reported.

Are you guilty of these poor table manners? Getty Images
Are you guilty of these poor table manners? Getty Images

Table manners aren’t just disappearing among the younger crowd. The survey found that 32% of people of all ages never think about their table manners.

On the contrary, over half of the British diners asked said they are upset about the lack of table manners they observe around them. Meanwhile, 49% of people asked said they wouldn’t date someone who had bad table manners.

Experts say phones shouldn’t be a dinner table staple. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Experts say phones shouldn’t be a dinner table staple. Getty Images/iStockphoto

The survey showed that 48% of people were irked by loud chewing, 37% were annoyed when people used their food at the table and another 37% hated when people ate off others’ plates without asking.

More than half of survey participants also hated it when people talked with food in their mouths, were very loud or snapped their fingers at servers.

Besides elbows, another appendage Gen Z can’t seem to keep off the table is cell phones as 38% of young adult diners admitted to using their devices during a meal.

We live in a culture in which phones “eat first” — meaning snapshots of prepared plates must be taken before anyone can dig in. Getty Images
We live in a culture in which phones “eat first” — meaning snapshots of prepared plates must be taken before anyone can dig in. Getty Images

Author Clare Finney recently dished about Gen Z’s table manners in Vogue, and while she said criticizing someone for putting their elbows on the table “feels outdated,” there’s one major takeaway: “Put your elbows on the table by all means, Mabel — but put away your phone.”

Not only is having your phone at the table rude, it’s unhygienic. A study from the University of Michigan found that your phone is 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat.

Noël Wolf, the cultural expert at Babbel, agreed that phones at the table should be where people draw the line. We now live in a culture where people post pictures of their meals on Instagram but it should end at that, Wolf and Finney agreed.

“Despite the fact that many of us have openly admitted to using our mobile phone during a meal, it’s generally understood that their use at the table should be restricted,” Wolf told Yahoo.

“Taking a quick snapshot of your food before digging in is usually harmless, though sometimes fellow diners might find this annoying,” Wolf added.

Almost half of the survey participants wanted the people they were dating to exhibit good table manners. Getty Images
Almost half of the survey participants wanted the people they were dating to exhibit good table manners. Getty Images

Doing anything beyond taking a photo of your meal is considered rude.

“But engaging in phone calls or scrolling through TikTok should be avoided. Since our phones often tether us to constant online communication, dining experiences – especially when dining out – serve as opportunities to disconnect and enjoy quality time with companions,” Wolf said.