Why are traditional family gatherings during mealtimes are disappearing? What are the possible effects or impacts?

• 
  Why are traditional family gatherings during mealtimes are disappearing? What are the possible effects or impacts?
  

It is true that the traditional family gatherings are becoming extinct. While there are some reasons which could be put forward to explain this pattern of behavior, significant impacts on family life are available. I would argue that it is a negative development.

To begin with, there are two persuasive reasons why families are no longer making themselves meet at mealtimes. Firstly, Parents are really reliant on their work as they do need to maintain work and life balance. That is to say, caregivers prefer to spend more time on their job so as to make money to live accurately. Indeed, they try to avoid financial burden. As a result, this could bring about family conflicts as they have no more time for household members. Secondly, children are often impatient to eat at the table as they are willing to have too much time in front of the television. In the same way, parents might permit them to have their meal in front of the TV or computer. This is mainly because youth are reluctant to eat a meal with household members.

On the contrary, I am certain that this kind of isolation can have negative impact on the development of children’s conduct. In fact, parents are likely to teach table manners of how to behave when there are guests. If this behavioral pattern is hardly taken into account, they will not shape proper manners. Moreover, children may suffer from lack of strong family bond as they have loss of affection from their parents. Hence, they could endure a sense of loneliness. In the long run, this will certainly bring about their potential antisocial behavior such as cyber or alcohol addiction.

For the reasons mentions above, it seems to me that negative effects should be partly considered as serious ones.