Phoney Conversations

A memo went around recently. It came from the owner of one of Britain’s largest pub chains and its message to managers was clear: henceforth, patrons are banned from using mobile phones or tablets whilst inside. 

The justifying logic is one of preservation. Pubs have always had immense social value in British culture – and, thus, they should remain a centre of face-to-face conversation. All talk, no tweet.

Whilst this is not the first instance of a restaurant or bar going ‘phone free’, the decision adds more fuel to the fiery debate. At a time when phones are so wired into our lives, it’s no surprise that the subject splits opinion. 

For some, digital devices are a social hoover, vacuuming the substance from conversation – or at least causing enough distraction to create a mental dislocation from the moment (for you and others.) 

As such, devices should be viewed with the same stigma as a cigarette, where 'digital smoking' would take place outside in designated zones, away from people – to avoid the face-talkers suffering from ‘passive posting’.  

For others, placing such restrictions on how people interact has an unshakeable air of elitist pretentiousness about it. It reflects a sort of social puffery that casts digital ‘talk’ as a somehow lesser act, the poor cousin of conversation. 

Whichever side of the fence you fall on, there can be no argument that mobile phones have become a disruptive buzz in our social moments, and briefly ‘unplugging’ promotes the sort of presentism which enhances people’s enjoyment of the company and the occasion. To that extent, the ban can be framed as protecting the sanctity of together-time rather than as a headwind against progress.

Either way, no bipartisan solution is forthcoming. For now, going phone-free will likely remain a preserve of the more premium establishment, where diners’ tolerance stretches in correlation to their desire to ‘act gourmet.’ Parting with a device then becomes a fitting invitation, not a demand. 

But given neither the technology nor the issue is going away, perhaps hospitality brands across the spectrum need to think more smartly about how to manage, rather than outlaw, the ‘social digital invasion.’ Extremities might write headlines, but they rarely work. 

Let's think instead in terms of incentivising (a reward for choosing to go phone-free) or even separating (would you like a digital or non-digital table, Madam?)

First published on Landor's Instagram Insights @ontheyellowpulse