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Sammy Costa
Ben Henderson
CAS 137H
29 October 2013
The Silencing of the Dinner Bell
We have seen the quick, easy-to-make-at-home commercials. These may include
Stouffers signature meatloaf commercial or Hamburger Helpers pasta commercial. It
does not really matter which one comes to mind. They all have the same message, and
they all incorporate the same video footage. There is a delicious, slow-motion shot of the
food being advertised. The steam is rising, and the creaminess of the sauce (there always
seems to be a sauce) causes salivation. A mother places the meal on the dinner table
where the two childrenusually a girl and a boyand husband are waiting anxiously
and affectionately for the meal to begin. Their smiles are exuberant, and their happiness
is almost tangible. It definitely proposes a Kodak moment. However, the producers seem
to be missing one fact; the increasing role of individualism that is influencing the
American dinner table. The past sixty years comprise a time in history where this
eccentricity is a core component of a persons life, but there is an inverse relationship in
this phenomenon. As the role of individualism increases, the American dinner tables role
in society decreases. A poll was conducted in 2003 showing that slightly more than a
quarter (28%) of adults with children under the age of 18 eat dinner together at home
seven nights a week, which is down from 37% in 1997 (Kiefer). This departure in
familial mealtime is a result of the dependence we have developed on the constant
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advancements in technology and changing roles of each member in the family, especially
the maternal role.
Americans use computers and cell phones throughout their day for multiple
purposes. In her article Digital Dwelling: Technology in Couple and Family
Relationships, Katherine M. Hertlein states, The last generation has seen an
unprecedented increase in the use of technology in everyday life. In 2010, 170 million
personal computers were projected to be sold worldwide, with a 69% increase in sales
expected in the United States from 2010 to 2014. Technology has become an essential
part of an American home. In 2010, 72% of U.S. citizens over the age of 3 used the
Internet and nearly 60% of children between the ages of 7 and 17 had their own cell
phones (Hertlein). This expansion in technology is positively affecting the
interconnectedness of the nation. A person who lives in California can message someone
who lives in Maine, and even more impressive than that is that the message is sent and
received within seconds. The swift speed of technology causes everyday life to speed up
as well. Now that a message can be sent at the click of a button or an answer can be
found in seconds, a day is going to become more and more involved, making it hectic. Of
course there are more stressful days than others, but in the United States, where
technology rates are incredibly high, there is nothing unusual about that. Many
Americans accept that they are responsible for multiple tasks throughout the day.
Fortunately, technology expedites these tasks by making them more efficient and
concentrated.
So how does this affect the American dinner table? Families are struggling to find
the time not just to prepare the meal, but to sit down to together and reminisce about their
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days. A study conducted by the Iowa State University Extension found that as a result of
conflicting school and work schedules, almost half of American families do not eat
together as often as they would like (Flounders). Despite the fact that computers and
phones accelerate our undertakings and responsibilities, Americans are still desperate for
more hours in the day.
Eating dinner together as a family is one of the first things ejected off a To-Do list
because an Americans sense of independence is slowly starting to diminish the role of
the family. American families, for the most part, are not heartless or antisocial. However,
Meredith Jacobs of Baltimore Jewish Times wrote, we are too busy with our individual
pursuits that we function more as people who happen to live together than families. We
live in an era of extreme individuality. When a family eats together, it is an opportune
time for sharing and communicating with loved ones. Yet, as technology takes a more
dominate role in American lives, making them hectic and busy, people are finding new,
time-reducing ways to converse. Talking at the dinner table is being replaced by texting,
calling, tweeting, emailing, and other such sources of communication.
Not only are family members using other means to talk to one another, but they
are also diverging from home-cooked meals by frequently getting fast food or heating up
premade meals, such as Stouffers signature meatloaf or Hamburger Helper. Since people
are usually desperate for more time, a meal that is all ready to go is perfect. The
emergence of more and more fast food chains contributes to the accessibility and ease for
parents to bring home dinner or take the family out to eat. In the United States, there has
been a major jump in fast food sales. In 1972, Americans spent $3 billion a year on fast
food and in 2000, they spent more than $110 billion (Fast-Food Fast Facts). This
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increase is a major consequence of the dependence people have developed with the
convenience and accessibility of fast food.
Fast-food chains are not only fueling the decline of the dinner table by creating
availability, but by also furthering independence. Since schedules are becoming more
complex and chaotic, family members may not even find the time to go home. This is
especially relevant for teenagers who are going from one school activity to the next. It is
a lot easier to grab a burger at McDonalds than it is to drive home hoping that mom or
dad already has dinner on the table. As long as technology continues to speed up
American lives, there will be a need for quick, grab-and-go food. McDonalds Ray Kroc
was an American businessman who is accredited for building the most successful fast
food operation in the world. In Robert Benensons article Dining in America, he
describes Ray Kroc as being a man who had the foresight to exploit the demographic
trends of increased mobility, more working mothers, busier lifestyles and growing
numbers of single-person households. Ray Kroc took advantage of the decline in the
role of the American dinner table. He acknowledged the fact that the specific roles in the
family are changing and the individuals wellbeing is becoming the most pertinent issue.
The role in the family that has changed the most is the mothers. This gender
equality shift is in turn affecting the American dinner table shift. The growing
independence among American women is causing a decrease in cooking and an increase
in job searching. The modern feminist crusade, starting in the sixties, is still a strong and
embracive movement. The website of the National Organization for Women (NOW) is
proud to share that it is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United
StatesNOW's goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women
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(History of NOW). NOWs goal has not been to diminish the significance of the
American dinner table, but it has definitely been a consequence of this new feminine
individuality. Women do not feel as inclined to take care of the house, which includes
preparing meals, now that the fight for gender equality is starting to take effect. Up until
women were allowed to enter the workforce in the 1960s, one of the main responsibilities
women had was making sure dinner was on the table when the husband came home.
While the vast majority of women were stay-at-home moms, dinnertime was a daily ritual
that was not questioned. But the role of women has been drastically altered. A woman
contributing to the familys income is no longer taboo; therefore, she is finding work
rather than cooking that nights dinner. The modern feminist movement greatly
encouraged individualism among women. Due to this independence, American women
are now seeing cooking for the family as an option, not an obligation.
Fortunately, Stouffers signature meatloaf and mashed potatoes are precooked,
making the preparation process much easier. Unfortunately, no one is at the dinner table
ready to eat it (the dog might be there). In the commercial, the narrator says, What
makes Stouffers meatloaf best of all? That moment you enjoy it at home ("Stouffer's
Signature Classics Meatloaf TV Commercial). It is a charming idea, but since the
sixties, the American dinner table scene has gradually been fading, despite the
commercials with the lovely families and delicious home-cooked meals. This decline in
familial mealtime will prevail as long as individualism continues to be an important and
constant aspect in society. Independence is encouraged through the promising changes in
gender equality and the increasing expansion and advancement of technology. All of our
answers can be quickly found with the click of a button, diminishing one of the important
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elements of eating at the table together. With such busy lifestyles, getting to the dinner
table is a challenge in itself. We are becoming more independent socially, but we are
becoming dependent on convenience, whether if it is through use of cell phones or eating
at Burger King. The role of the American dinner table is becoming a symbol of what life
was like prior to the 1960s.
Words: 1558

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Works Cited
Benenson, Robert. "Dining in America." Editorial Research Reports 1984. Vol. I.
Washington: CQ Press, 1984. 369-88. CQ Researcher. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
"Fast-Food Fast Facts." Current Events Dec 06 2010: 5. ProQuest. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
Flounders, Anne. "Dinner Time!" Current Health 2 11 2008: 18-21. ProQuest. Web. 29
Oct. 2013 .
Hertlein, Katherine M. "Digital Dwelling: Technology in Couple and Family
Relationships." Wiley Online Library. WILEY, 1 June 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.
"History of NOW." History of NOW. National Organization for Women, n.d. Web. 29
Oct. 2013.
Jacobs, Meredith. "In Lieu of Dinner." Baltimore Jewish Times Apr 20 2007:
16. ProQuest. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
Kiefer, Heather M. "Empty Seats: Fewer Families Eat Together." Empty Seats: Fewer
Families Eat Together. Gallup, 24 Jan. 2004. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
"Stouffer's Signature Classics Meatloaf TV Commercial." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web.
29 Oct. 2013.