A recent nationwide survey conducted by Home Run Inn Pizza has shed light on the extent of smartphone addiction among Gen Z and millennials, highlighting its impact on their culinary endeavors and dining experiences.
The survey, which involved 1,000 Gen Z respondents (aged 18 to 26) and 1,000 millennials (aged 27 to 42), delved into their attachment to cell phones while cooking or eating, revealing some concerning findings.
Cooking While Distracted
A substantial 66% of Gen Z and 58% of millennials admitted to using their smartphones while cooking, a practice that often leads to cooking mishaps. The consequences of cellphone distractions included burned dishes, with 77% of Gen Z and 83% of millennials experiencing such culinary catastrophes.
Furthermore, 55% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials reported adding the wrong ingredients to their dishes due to phone distractions. Astonishingly, a staggering 75% of both groups confessed to sustaining injuries like cuts and burns while engrossed in their phones.
Spills and Butterfingers
Kitchen mishaps extended to spilling ingredients on their devices, with 42% of Gen Z and 51% of millennials admitting to this culinary clumsiness.
Despite the distractions, smartphones also served as valuable culinary resources, with 71% of Gen Z and 67% of millennials using their devices to watch cooking videos.
Preferential Social Media Platforms
Interestingly, while both generations utilized their phones for culinary guidance, they differed in their choice of social media platforms. A notable 56% of Gen Z favored TikTok for cooking inspiration, while 29% of millennials turned to YouTube for similar content.
Visual Aesthetics Influence Dining Choices
Visual aesthetics played a significant role in meal selection, as 70% of Gen Z and 65% of millennials admitted to ordering restaurant dishes based on visual appeal.
Cold Meals and Smartphone Photography
The desire to capture the perfect food photo for social media led to a less-than-ideal dining experience for some. Approximately 23% of Gen Z and 20% of millennials reported having a meal turn cold while attempting to capture content for their social media feeds.
Scrolling While Eating
Even when it was time to enjoy their meals, smartphone use persisted. A substantial 81% of Gen Z and 60% of millennials confessed to scrolling on their phones while eating.
Ignoring Dining Companions
The addiction to screens extended to dining companions, with 25% of Gen Z and 23% of millennials admitting that they had ignored their dining partners in favor of their phones during a meal.
Conversely, over half of both generations had experienced being “phubbed” – a term that combines “phone” and “snub” – by someone else while dining together.
This survey underscores the prevalence of smartphone addiction among Gen Z and millennials and its far-reaching consequences on their culinary pursuits and dining interactions.