Understanding Screen-based Dining Practices through the Lens of Mindful Eating

Our eating practices are increasingly overshadowed by the presence of screen-based media technologies that confict with the ideologies of mindful eating. However, little is known about whether and how screens infuence our eating behaviors. To contribute to this understanding, we present a rich account of dining practices of ten participants with and without screen. Our study revealed that eating with screens was found more enjoyable than eating alone. Screens can infuence one's awareness of hunger and other behaviors like chewing rate and food gaze, whereas screen-media did not trigger any judgements for food. Drawing on the study insights, we highlight the role of technology to support bodily awareness, savoring, a non-judgmental attitude to eating and on rethinking distractions as companions. The outlined considerations encourage a creative yet careful take on making mindful eating more accessible within the realities of screen-based dining cultures.

• Human-centered computing → Human computer interaction (HCI); Empirical studies in HCI.