New Zealand families turn to screens for dinner as cost of living crisis hits

Henderson said research showed many people had to catch up by taking work home after hours, staying in the office longer or working weekends.

The cost of living for the average New Zealand household rose by 6.2 per cent in the 12 months to the March quarter of 2024, according to data released by Stats NZ earlier this year. This has resulted in record high KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals as people face high interest rates and rising costs of groceries and electricity.

Manawatū mum Elizabeth Gray says she struggles to make sure her family can eat together – without screens – four times a week. She has two children at home – Macy, 13, and Jonty, 11 – and has to juggle working as a single mum with her children’s extra-curricular activities.

“We’ve created this habit and it’s a ritual – they take turns setting the table and Jonty loves lighting the candles. We ask each other about our days and it becomes a time of connection.”

Gray, whose two older children have left the nest, says it can be a real juggling act—Macy plays rugby some nights, and Jonty has swimming practice other nights. And of course, both kids love their digital devices. Sometimes the conversation turns to what the kids have seen on Snapchat or YouTube that day, which Gray says is a great way to find out what they are doing online in a nonconfrontational way.

“You can’t ban technology, but you can meet kids where they are and open the door for them to share what they’re doing — and if they’ve seen anything that makes them feel uncomfortable,” Gray says.

The Ministry of Health has provided guidelines on recreational screen time, stating that children under the age of two should spend zero hours a day in front of a screen, children aged two to five less than an hour, and children aged five to 17 less than two hours a day.

But concerned experts issued warnings last year after research from the University of Otago revealed that New Zealand children were spending about a third of their out-of-school time in front of screens. The high rates of screen time were exposing young people to cyberbullying, harmful sexual content and inappropriate advertising for sectors such as alcohol and gambling, the research said.

In July New Zealand Medical Journal called for new limits on screen time in schools after a study found that excessive digital use was linked to poor physical and mental health. They warned that many children were exceeding the recommended limits during school hours. And last month, one expert warned that excessive screen time was leading to ADHD-like behaviour.

My Food Bag’s research found that 81% of people surveyed believe dinner is an important time for family and bonding, but 67% admitted they spent at least part of their meal watching TV on a screen.

Gray says taking time away from screens to eat together encourages open conversation, but it’s also about modeling good behavior. She suggests involving kids by letting them choose the meal and, when they’re old enough, helping to make it. And she says let kids choose the topics of conversation, which encourages them to treat dinner as a time to bond.