Sardinia Launches Screen-Free Restaurant Pilot Project for Families
Fifteen eateries across the Italian island have introduced a voluntary initiative encouraging diners to put away their phones and tablets during meals.
A new one-month pilot project titled "A tavola senza schermi," or "At Table Without Screens," kicked off on Sunday across 15 restaurants on the Italian Mediterranean island of Sardinia. The initiative is designed to encourage families to converse, play, and engage with one another during dining out rather than staring at electronic devices.
Participating establishments, located in both larger cities like the regional capital of Cagliari and smaller municipalities, invite guests to voluntarily place their mobile phones and tablets deep inside their pockets or store them in a designated basket upon entering. In return, families with children receive a special "encounter kit" containing games and colored pencils.
While the program encourages diners to disconnect, there is no strict ban on mobile devices. Participation remains entirely voluntary, and exceptions can be made by prior arrangement. Diners who must take important phone calls are asked to step away from the table and move out of earshot.
The project was developed jointly by the island's hospitality association and regional children's and adolescents' commissioner, Anna Cau. "The digital world must be properly regulated," Cau stated, emphasizing the need to protect minors from the potential misuse of electronic devices and unsuitable content while helping parents understand both the risks and opportunities of technology.
Emanuele Frongia, chairman of the hospitality association, noted that removing screens helps adults reconnect and converse as well. "A restaurant is a place where you meet, talk to each other, and spend time together," Frongia said.
In a separate development concerning the region, the agricultural organization Coldiretti Sardegna recently urged businesses and institutions to collaborate in addressing severe economic challenges linked to the island's geographic isolation. Coldiretti highlighted that high transportation costs, exacerbated by the European Union Emissions Trading System, severely impact local productivity, supply chains, and family purchasing power.
To combat these rising expenses, Coldiretti Sardegna proposed the implementation of a permanent tax credit to offset growing freight transport costs and called for unified discussions with European institutions to bridge the competitiveness gap faced by regional businesses.
Sources
- Die Koralleninsel | RTL+ plus.rtl.de
- Aufgrund der hohen Transportkosten und der Nachteile der Insel ruft Coldiretti Sardegna Unternehmen und Institutionen zur Zusammenarbeit auf. - L'Unione Sarda German unionesarda.it
- Scheune brennt lichterloh: Feuerwehr stundenlang im Einsatz tag24.de
- Handy weg im Restaurant - Pilotversuch auf Sardinien suedkurier.de
- Familien: Handy weg im Restaurant - Pilotversuch auf Sardinien tagesspiegel.de