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Name: Shared tables.

Look: Long, awkward and making a comeback.

The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Only Acceptable Place for Long Benches is the School Canteen

Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? The younger generation, apparently. Research indicates from the dining booking company Resy, "Nine out of ten of gen Z diners say they like shared seating, versus just six in ten of boomers".

I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today

Group dining in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the second world war, in fact – there were about 2,500 of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

I Suppose It Made Sense During Times of Rationing, But Why Do It Now?

This might seem strange to you, I know, but shared dining can be fun! As the Resy CEO notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"

The Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal by A Loud Conversation About Their Therapy Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”

Or sitting beside a Hyrox bore eating chicken to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a social media user capturing you in the background of their reel while eating a salad? Consider this: gen Z – the most digitally connected group, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – enjoy organized group events. This same desire driving the popularity of youth running groups, group hikes and art nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.

I’d Rather Eat in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths They Have in Tokyo.

You might not fancy it, but many youths feel isolated (Nearly half of them, as per an Oxfam study released this summer). A recent American study , one-third of men aged between 18 to 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the past week. Isn't it positive they’re going out and sharing meals with new people?

Perhaps. Research Shows Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness

Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Plus the Resy data points out another advantage: 14% of survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a communal dining experience. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this offers a chance for a unplanned "meet-cute".

I Hate That Pun Nearly as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.

Mission accomplished.

Do say: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."

Inappropriate remark: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."