Tablets in restaurants with the sound up

Tablets should be headphones or silent but no need for the smugness.

We had to put up with this in a hospital clinic recently. The child came with the patients ‘driver’.

@MrsClatterbuck my local breast clinic seems to be in an internet black spot. For which I am now grateful.

I don’t understand this? Why not just ask the offending family to turn their device off or use headphones? What if more than one table is doing this? Where are you going to move the conplaining family to? And why should they have to move?

Why does rhat make her a dick? Because she parents her children?

I have asked the cabin crew before to deal with no headphones on planes and they sad it wasn’t their job. Given that cabin crew have powers to deal with passengers I was very annoyed. Would be easy to make clear on booking and take off that headphones are compulsory and spare ones can be bought onboard.
it has honestly put me off holidays as it happens on the plane in restaurants and by the pool.

Ditto.

There is always some noise even if the volume is very low, and when it's indistinct it can be even more annoying.

Restaurant manager here.

If somebody complained to me about this I would move the table that complained further away. Whilst yes I agree it's shitty parenting, but ultimately if they are not playing anything offensive or being overly hyperactive there isn't really much you can do about it. Unfortunately unless multiple people complain, moving the customers would be the easiest solution.

Yanbu, headphones or on mute, no exceptions either.

My niece has severe autism (if that is correct terminology). She's 14 and has an iPad she watches movies on while out at restaurants. She will not tolerate ear or head phones. But I can barely hear it sitting at the same table with her, and it's inexcusable for others to have it so loud as to interfere with conversation.
Next time have a word with the waitstaff.

I was on a coach the other day with other families.
The kid in front with her parent was watching Frozen quite loud on her tablet! Sound up, no headphones! I could really hear it and I've got bad hearing!!
Was actually really shocked by the sheer volume and audacity of that one

Frequently happens on the tube. Can't understand how this has become a thing. Adults unaware that no one else wants to hear the crap they are staring at? Drives me mad.

iPads for sure. Sound. Absolutely not. My friend does this and I find it so embarrassing.

If I'm on my own in a coffee shop or cafe having just a coffee or a meal I do browse a bit on my phone. Surely no harm in that. I used to read a paper but the phone takes up a lot less room and is handier.

I agree, she doesn't sound smug.

It's not just kids or in restaurants but once I accompanied a friend to an appointment at the breast clinic. While waiting for her a woman nearby had the volume up on her phone. I'm guessing she was watching those reels on FB. Very annoying. I was on my phone as well but no sound.

Even when screens are silent it bothers me when other diners around me are on them - whether adults on phones or children on tablets. Especially couples silently scrolling in parallel across the table from each other.

It makes me feel depressed.

It kills the atmosphere. It makes me feel like I’m in a dystopian novel.

We have had this a lot recently it's getting worse. The noise is awful. Just mindless shit they are watching. What's the point in taking them out if they just do this. What about talking ? Kids don't stand a chance these days. Adults do it with their phones too. Bloody selfish

I hope you used elbows and accidentally spilled a drink on her.

It's not just kids, I was on a flight last month and the woman next to me watched a whole movie with no headphones! 😩

I hate seeing children in zombie mode in front of screens in restaurants. Or even worse in pushchairs. I’m lucky i guess I never had to do that with mine. I take toys, colouring, books, quiet games and engage them in conversation. Or don’t take them at all. The idea of a restaurant with all the kids plugged into screens is like something out of 1984 and really unpleasant to me. I’d rather not eat out at all.

Actually, you are right.

I was in a pub garden recently, and the group on the table next to us sat a baby on the floor... baby was just about old enough to sit up by itself... and it was transfixed to an iPhone that was on the floor infront of it... all whilst the adults in the party just chatted and ignored them.

Because not all children act like that with iPads. It’s also very possible for them to have it whilst waiting for dinner and then put it away and chat when dinner arrives.

@SouthLondonMum22

How exactly does a child wearing headphones engage in the general conversation?

My son doesn't actually like colouring that much but if he's given a colouring sheet and crayons, he'll have a go at it.