Social media is changing the way we eat. Many of us are giving up around-the-table dinners to dine with their computers or phones.
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A new study called "Clicks and Cravings" examines this trend -- and suggests it's not a bad thing.
More than 29% of social media users are on a social networking website while eating or drinking at home. Outside the house, the figure is 19%. About 32% of us text or socialize on a mobile device at meal time. Not surprisingly, the youngest demographic in the survey -- 18-34 year olds -- tweet, Facebook and text during mealtimes at a higher rate of 47%.
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Eating at your computer doesn't necessarily mean you're antisocial, the study says. We're mostly using social networking sites to catch up with friends and family. We're also using social media to pick up on the latest food trends and learn how to eat healthy.
Those users aren't necessarily putting that learning into action, David Emerson Feit, Senior Director of Quantitative Research at The Hartman Group, told Mashable. People are snacking more, while becoming aware of what constitutes good food thanks to what's being shared online.
"There is an aspiration towards eating better," Feit said. "People who are using social media more are in tune with the little micro-trends in food culture, quick changes like peanut oil is on its way out and coconut oil is on its way in. The more friends you have, the more likely you will pick up that trend."
Out of the 82% of respondents who visit social networking sites on a monthly basis, 49% say they learn about food via social networking. The 18-34 year-olds are consuming more food news online than through magazines and newspapers -- likely because of the rise of restaurant review apps and food blogs.
There are three kinds of people who talk about food online, says Feit: the spectator who consumes news and ideas; the dreamer who connect people and curates content; and the doer who creates contents and inspires followers. In general, people are willing to try a wider variety of restaurants after being exposed to them online.
Feit was surprised by how much desire exists for healthy eating. "There is a link for authenticity for food and social media," he says. "That wasn't obvious going into the study."
The study was conducted through in-depth one-on-one interviews, plus online, self-administered questionnaires from 1,641 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 64.
Do these trends describe your lifestyle? Let us know in the comments.
Image courtesy of Flickr, hans s
This story originally published on Mashable here.
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