Top 5 Reasons Not To Check Your Phone At Dinner Tonight

Andy Ellwood -
This post was originally published on February 14, 2012 on Forbes.com.

While celebrating Valentine's Day last night with my better half, I couldn't help but notice that just about all of the other couples in our section of the restaurant seemed to be having alternating twitches under the table and a recurring bluish glow on their faces throughout dinner. Upon a closer look, my fears were confirmed: their smart phone addiction was getting in the way of dinner.

The Top Five Reasons You Should Not Check Your Phone While On Your Valentine's Date Tonight.

  1. Your date won't understand. Most of the couples that I know each have smart phones and are both busy and successful people. Some work in finance, some run creative agencies, some are doctors, and some are riding the roller coaster known as the start-up life. But, even if you know that your Valentine loves their smart phone too, tonight's not the night to open up the dialogue about how you both need to seek treatment for your digital addiction.
  2. You're not that important. If we're being honest, and really getting down to the truth of the matter, there is just about nothing that can or will happen tonight between the coat check and finishing dessert that you NEED to know about.
  3. You aren't as sneaky as you think. We've all attempted to master the "quick glance under the table to see if there is an email/tweet/poke waiting since last checking 4 minutes ago" trick. And, despite feeling clever, everyone saw you do it.
  4. Everyone at the restaurant will assume your date is horrible. Now, I know for some people, that may turn out to be true. But, I hope, that if you truly actually like the person you're spending your Valentine's Day with, that you will not give them, or everyone in the restaurant, any indication that you don't.
  5. The best of what happens online leads to amazing things off line. Here's your shot to remember how that works. In the always connected world that we live in, having the chance to share a conversation with someone that you actually like and not feeling the need to use a hashtag for the evening or inquiring about their Klout score before ordering appetizers will be good for everyone involved.