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Name: Shared seating arrangements.

Look: Long, uncomfortable and making a comeback.

Communal Dining is Back? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location 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, compared with just six in ten of older generations".

A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining Regarding Younger People

Communal eating in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a big thing during the second world war, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

It Was Logical When Food Was Scarce, But Why Do It Now?

It’s an alien concept for you, admittedly, but shared dining can be enjoyable! 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 “Fun” of Having Dinner Interrupted by Someone Explaining Loudly About Their Therapy Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”

Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a social media user filming you accidentally of their reel as they massacre a salad? Consider this: young adults – the most online generation, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, group hikes and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I Prefer Dining in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths Found in Japan.

This may not appeal to you, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, according to an Oxfam study published in June). In a 2023 US report , one-third of men aged between 18 to 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn't it positive they’re going out and breaking bread with strangers?

I Suppose. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness

Conversing with new people is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Plus the Resy survey highlights an additional benefit: one in seven survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a shared meal event. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this gives them a shot at a unplanned "meet-cute".

That Joke Annoys Me Nearly as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.

My work here is done.

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

Don’t say: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."