Financial difficulties, phone addiction, culture of laziness, ease of delivery, celibacy… All the reasons are good for not going out to a restaurant and enjoying a meal in small or large groups. Yet, at a time when getting closer and meeting new people can seem difficult, lunches and dinners are becoming increasingly popular as new social moments.
Eat and socialize. Eat to socialize. Intimately linked, these two processes have one thing in common: the meal is not just a moment of satisfaction of our dietary needs, but it turns out to be a perfect moment to bond and strengthen our relationships. Decryption.
The meal, a space for socializing at any age
We were familiar with bars, after-work, cinema and other entertainment venues. But today, simple lunch/dinner is making a big comeback in socialization programs.
However, this concept is not new and has been established since childhood. “Time of care, time of individual encounter, the child experiences the satisfaction of a physiological need. This moment also plays a fundamental role in the socialization process because during the meal, the child learns to know himself, to tame his sensations; he learns to connect with adults and discovers the first social rules” reports the information site for early childhood professionals, Les Pros de la Petite Enfance.
In day care and at home, the little ones learn to interact with the older ones and to be part of a group. A system that reproduces itself in adolescence, where the meal can be seen as an action of autonomy when a circle of friends is formed to eat among themselves and develop discussions – and thus relationships – more intimate.
Adults, to the table!
“With only a bed and a table, we unroll the whole human existence, between pleasures, desires and needs” rightly mentions the book A table, les vieux! by Jean-Jacques Amyot. In adulthood, eating takes on various forms and uses.
Lunch break at work is the perfect example. The restaurant between colleagues turns out to be “a socialization space” that “promotes the integration of norms and values of a given group” explains the site Changer le travail in an article.
However, this notion of socialization, especially in professional contexts, has its limits. As stated in the “What is the impact of the meal on collective action?” presented by HEC students, the meal divides classes by social and age groups. “Where the worker will relax with his colleagues, the manager will be more likely to talk about work, to see the meal as an opportunity to deepen the professional discussion. There is therefore a meal for each social group. Some companies are trying to soften this aspect so that the meal retains its unifying role and does not become a source of division,” says the report. Unifier yes, but each in his place…
In the private sphere, the importance of the meal is quite different. Lunch or dinner as a couple, with family or friends is synonymous with conviviality, a moment when we take the time to talk about a dish and strengthen ties. It is also, for many, the program of choice for dating. A restaurant appointment is often the preferred option when you are starting your relationship, where the art of the table and culinary delights go hand in hand with flirtation and seduction.
Applications that encourage the unifying meal
If the meals are mostly taken with relatives or colleagues, a new trend is emerging more and more in order to promote friendly and romantic encounters: social dining. This phenomenon invites a group of individuals who do not know each other to share a meal at an individual, in a restaurant or in an unusual place. The meal becomes the social tool par excellence, creating discussions and a warm atmosphere.
Many applications have been involved in this trend, such as Dixner, Timeleft, Eatwith or VizEat. Simply register, indicate your availability and consumer preferences and join a group of strangers all together to share a good time. All over the world, these applications are flourishing as the concept of the meal with others is universal. A way to break the social distance and sometimes heavy friendly routine.
Lovers are not left out. The Eat and Love platform connects singles over dinner. The slogan is well thought out: “Love at first sight”. Proof, once again, that the pleasures of the mouth marry perfectly with the pleasures of the heart.
Read also : Truffles continue to win over epicureans
Featured photo : © Unsplash
