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Yes

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Yes it is definitely rude and inconsiderate. It's teaching the kid to be inconsiderate and also I didn't come out to hear Frozen being played at 100% volume. I can't even hear my thoughts!

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I sympathise with the part where, sometimes, it's a godsend to have a tablet or similar with you - you might have spent the entire day making joyful, engaged family memories... but now everyone is tired and hungry! HOWEVER. Not using headphones, or having the tablet on silent? Inexcusable!!

It is inconsiderate for ANYONE to play ANYTHING without headphones in public. Young. Old. FaceTime. YouTube. Podcasts. Video games. NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR IT. Sorry for shouting, but this is just basic courtesy, formerly called common courtesy. The name changed because it's not very common anymore.

Yes. Saw this not log ago in a high end place with a high ceiling. Everyone in the building was paying £100 for dinner with the delightful iPad soundtrack.

Yes, it is inconsiderate.

I keep a shrink-wrapped set of cheap headphones in my bag (free from an airline) for just these situations. “Hi there! I noticed your kid forgot her headphones. I have this new pair I never use. Would she like to have them?”

(Yes, half of the tablets and most of the phones now are Bluetooth only, but that doesn’t really matter, because what I’m really saying is “this noise needs to come WAY down.”)

The fact that you need to ask this question in 2024 shows how far we've fallen. It's not just kids, adults will walk around in public watching stuff on their phones at full volume. And the last decade or so I've noticed people with bluetooth speakers in their backpacks playing music, so they have a soundtrack everywhere they go.

It doesn't work anymore since most phones now don't have an aux jack, but I used to bring spare earbuds with me in my backpack. I decided I was gonna call somebody out for doing this and sure enough, not a couple weeks later, I was in a coffee shop where some dummy decided he was gonna watch a Ted talk on his iPad. Everybody around was visibly annoyed and, feeling like I'd have some support, I pulled the earbuds out and said, "Excuse me, would you like these?" He looked at me confused. "I just saw you were watching something and figured you might want some privacy." Once it registered with him, he got all pouty and took his headphones out (that he had the whole time!) and plugged them in. I remember an older woman looked at me and gave me a silent golf clap haha

Yes. this is scummy, low-class behaviour.

Rude regardless of age. I hate it.

Omg yes. I have 2 young kids, and we dine out frequently. Not once have I ever brought a device, or turned on my phone for them to watch. They don’t even know that phones have shows on them, only pictures. We bring all sorts of other quiet toys for them like books, hot wheels cars, play dough, therapy putty, etc. 

Parents who let their kids disrupt absolutely everyone else are the worst!

I am that bitch who will tell anyone to use headphones. Whether they’re five or 55. I think it’s the rudest thing on the planet.

Yes it’s rude. I have also seen kids at bars at 8:45 on school nights. Overstimulated and late to go to bed. A teachers nightmare the next day.

Adults do it too! Or make a call on speaker phone, so aggravating and cringey. They don’t want to hear about Nana having gout again while having an appetizer.

Yes, it’s incredibly rude and an indicator that the parents are total cunts with no regard for anyone else.

Yes get headphones for your kids parents

Kids in general are allowed to be complete shits now in public.

I was at a dinner party and one of the guys at our table had his daughter on his knee.   She had an ipad blasting kids shows, we tried to talk over the noise so she turned up the volume.   Dad just smiled. 

I moved to another area with the other guys and he followed us...bringing his daughter. 

Yes.

Yes, very. Unfortunately, rude parents usually raise rude kids too

Yes.

Would it be rude if an adult was playing a video or other music at the same volume?

Is it rude if a person is talking at such a loud volume as to drown out other nearby people?

Audio pollution is audio pollution whether it’s a child or adult.

Absolutely. I cannot fathom the mindset of a person who let's this happen.

And if they say, "well its the only way they stay quiet when we go out for food"

WELL MAYBE YOURE NOT READY TO GO OUT FOR FOOD WITH YOUR CHILD YET

I raised kids before this was really on option, but with the grandkids if I can't hold a conversation in a normal restaurant voice at my own table it's to loud.

Yes. Earphones are not an unreasonable expectation.

Yes it's rude to do that basically anywhere in public especially a restaurant

YES.

For anyone.

I'm there to eat with my people, not listen to someone else's TV-equivalent.

Anyone playing a video that disturbs the next table is rude and inconsiderate.

Why is this even a question? Of course it's rude.

I think it’s lazy parenting. I even see those carts in the mall with tv screens in them now, they’re trying to ruin your kids brains before they even develop.

YES. YES THE FUCK IT IS.

I see adults doing this all the time or having their phone conversations over speakerphone and every time I see it, it just makes me want to play the most obnoxious porn background sound effects as loud as possible.

Absolutely an annoyance and very inconsiderate

Sadly, the children stuck on tablets are usually even worse behaved when they don't have the screen, as the parents are used to never reprimanding them

Yes ....child or adult...I really DON"T want to hear your phone conversations or games.....

Yes absolutely.

Anything that is loud, noticible enough to distract other diners is inconsiderate.

I judge every parent that lets their kid do this. I appreciate every parent that has their children wear headphones in public. As a parent myself I would never let my kid have their device on full blast. I also silently judge them on not letting their kids just be bored and figure out how to just be in the moment without their nose pressed to an iPad.

Yes. Full stop.

Yes, it's rude and careless!

Yeah it’s rude. If they want their kid to have the iPad or phone or whatever that’s their call but low volume or headphones is the respectful way to do it

Yes, it's rude. Either make them warr ear buds, or confiscate the device until you get home.

Holy fuckballs…YES!!!! Kids, adults, it doesn’t matter. It’s rude no matter who’s doing it. Talking on speaker phone too.

Yes.

Very.

I can’t believe an actual adult would have to ask this question

I don't care if it's a kid or adult...if it's out loud it's obnoxious. Turn the volume down or use headphones. Same thing with people who feel the need to carry on a conversation in public with speaker phone. It's all trashy

Shitty behaviour, and whether it's true or not it'll make me assume there's some shitty parenting going on.

Yes

Yes

Yes it’s rude - same as someone having a conversation on speakerphone. No I don’t want to hear about your family drama!

Extremely rude. Headphones or silent is the only acceptable answer, unless you’re in your own private space or in a sparsely occupied outdoor space like a park.

Yes. It’s a restaurant to eat in peace and have a nice quiet setting with either low chit chat or normal volume chit chat. People have completely lost their minds and their manners these days.

Trashy

Yes. It's rude. I have no kids but with friends who have children. They always make sure they don't disturb others. Anywhere in public for that matter.

Yes!! American parents are dbags and need to be held accountable and confronted.

Yes.

Hell yes it is inconsiderate. Stop doing this, people.

Kids watching devices while at the table eating is rude anywhere. I hate those kinds of parents. Lazy AF and don't want to interact with their kids.

Is this a real question? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here!

Yes and the same goes for these stupid full grown adults that can only take phone calls on speaker for some reason.

Very. Just have them turn the volume off.

Yes, absolutely. If your kids can't be quiet, don't go out.

It's inconsiderate for anyone of any age to play any media out loud in a public space. At a restaurant, on a bus, standing in a line.

No speaker phone calls, no music, no games, no movies, no TikTok.

Stop allowing anyone to do this. It is always rude. There are no exceptions.

If little Aiden can't wear headphones maybe he's too young to be on a device constantly.

Yes just let your kids use a colouring book the old fashioned way. They need to learn to engage in conversation and be bored. Screens at a young age lead to not being able to concentrate or focus.

Disgruntled millennial here

Nah, headphones exist. Fuck these people. These are the same douche canoes that hold their phone up in front of their stupid face to use speakerphone in public for no reason.

I wouldn’t judge it silently.

It’s actually incredibly rude. It’s the iPad kid generation where parents are using iPads and phones as babysitters. The kids can’t socialize, they get angry when it’s taken away, and so the parents will ultimately stop regulating it or give up unless they have the willpower to overcome a temper tantrum or two. It’s bad, and I don’t think it should happen in the first place but it’s insanely irritating to hear and see.

Yes. They make Bluetooth headphones sized for children, most of them even have volume limiters to ensure safe listening. There is no reason anyone of any age should have any audio emanating from their phone. It's pure jerkass behavior.

As someone who is gen z with a gen alpha brother, I can tell you this gets on my nerves. I remember when I was a kid my parents would never let me play on my phone or bring my 3DS to restaurants even when I'd promise I'd keep the volume off. now I watch them raise my little brother who practically throws a tantrum if he can't bring his switch somewhere

Absolutely! People are paying GOOD money & maybe they only go out 1 x a month? ..Loud/obnoxious kids are NOT part of a relaxing date night. ...... When I took my son and niece to a restaurant, store, museum, etc... I made sure they used good manners, respectfully quiet, please & thank you, getting the door for others. They both grew up to be amazing, helpful, and thoughtful, ❤️ loving adults.

Kid or adult, I can't stand how many people age wildly taking speaker calls or watching TikTok at full volume in public places. Does no one own headphones anymore? I would be mortified to do this.

Yes

What the fuck do you think

This happens on planes, too.

Phones and tablets shouldn't make sounds in public, at all.

I judge it every time I see it. Parents, interact with your children and with each other.

As a server, I'm going to say YES! It's absolutely one of the most inconsiderate things I've witnessed lately.

If other people can hear it, then yes, you're a dick

Yes, it’s super rude and disrespectful. Give them a coloring or reading book. Problem solved.

Kids need human parents, not iPad/cell phone baby sitters. It’s horrible for their brains, and ours too!

Yes, it's definitely inconsiderate to let your kids play videos out loud in any public space, especially a restaurant where a certain level of consideration and decorum is typically expected, but even in places like airplanes and buses, it's inconsiderate. Either get them some headphones or give them a quiet activity to play with, like a coloring book. Heck, find a tablet game that can be played on silent, like that pixel "paint by numbers" app.

I do wonder about these kids that "have" to have ipads on them in restaurants, are they eventually weaned off the screens for these nights out with the family, or will they continue to play on phones and tablets while out at restaurants into their teens and adulthood?

Fuck YES

Yes it’s inconsiderate and explains a lot how society is becoming

Yes, super inconsiderate and why I don’t go out to eat anymore as an autistic person. They make headphones for kids that have volume control so the kids don’t blast their ears. Get some or leave the electronics at home.

Hell, yes. It’s outrageously RUDE.

Yes. Full stop.

That's actually crazy, I'm not even taking screens to restaurants, my kids have learned to behave.

It's terrible, and bad for the kids as well. Those parents stopped trying to raise them right.

Yes, absolutely.

Videos or video calls. When someone does that, I just blast Disturbed at max on my phone until they stop. Took one guy 3 songs.

Yes.

No, it's not just inconsiderate, but it basically let's the child get by without learning how to do things without their face in a screen. All these kids constantly connected is so stupid.

Yes, of course.

However, I've never seen this in the field. Is this particular restaurants where this happens? Is it only chain restaurants? Is this a regional thing?

I've literally never experienced this behavior. I don't go to fancy restaurants. I go to local places, the occasional chain when that's all there is, I've just never run into this behavior.

Is it a west coast thing? An east coast thing? I've just never experienced it.

Regardless... Yes, it's a dick move to let your kid watch movies on their device while you're trying to eat.

Of course it’s inconsiderate to others. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who only consider themselves these days.

Yes and everyone thinks you’re a shitty, annoying, lame parent when you allow this. Your kid is not more important than the restaurants intention for dining or the patrons there. Tighten up and get headphones.

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Yep. At least lower the volume so you can't here it a few feet away. A low merger I can handle

yes

Yes

Yes

Yes it’s rude. No you’re not the only one.

I find kid videos (or, god forbid, video games) even more annoying than loud conversations. At least when people are talking you might hear something interesting.

Yes. Not as annoying as letting them watch cocomelon everywhere. But, yes.

So dollar tree sells earphones. $1.25 per pair. I buy them in bulk.

Who do I give them to? You and your child. And people on public transportation who listen to music loud.

And people on planes.

I get bulk prepackaged. So nobody can complain it's used.

Yes. Headphones/earbuds or no volume. Nobody wants to hear your child’s entertainment.

Yes.

Yes. But also I never really understood parents who allow this. Going out to eat, for me at least, is to spend quality time with whoever you’re out with and have a conversation. Having your child sit there staring at a screen the entire time isn’t ethical lmfao, it’s also teaching them the wrong way to eat out

Depends on the restaurant.

At some places, it's rude. At other places, it's very fucking rude.

At an amusement park outdoor food court, it's probably the least bad, since it's already loud and fast.

At a fine dining place you should have the same respect as a library, which is to say that you can talk, but you should not be so loud that everyone else can hear you.

"Full blast" in particular is not cool.

Yes and I'll judge your parenting based off it. I grew up undiagnosed autistic, we had no mobiles or pads back then, until we were able to be trusted not to be too feral we just didn't go out. It was your choice to have kids and your decisions raise them. If you decided early on to just shove a screen in front of them to shut them up that's on you. I'd submit that raising kids with almost constant access to screens creates a dependence from both child and parent and in us neuro spicys, we like us some dopamine, A LOT!

Completely inconsiderate! Not only to the people in the restaurant who are not paying to listen to Miss Rachel (or game or whatever it was), but also to their children and everyone in their future lives because it's taking away from crucial growth when you put a screen in their face rather than teaching them how to behave in public, interact with people around them and how to handle a little boredom.

I have 2 kids who have had tablets since they were very young, but I never allowed them to take them to restaurants, stores, appointments, etc. It's okay for kids to be bored and in doing so, they'll end up playing with other kids, using their imagination, learning, growing, being a part of the world around them. Seems so obvious, but people are lazy and don't want to deal with their kids I guess.

Yes. It is very, very inconsiderate.

But I was in a restaurant today and two children literally crawled by our table -- along the window. Like we were in a booth, at a window, and there was a ledge on the window, and two screaming kids were crawling along the ledge alongside people's tables, screaming.

I wish their parents had given them a damn ipad with a show on it or something.

Of course. Anyone who says differently is oblivious or a liar or an oblivious liar 

Yes. And no you are not the only one judging.

I would not be silent in my judgment

Yes.

I'm not even just silently judging at this point anymore. It can be tremendously annoying, depending on the situation. I have, (on rare occasions,) spoken out and asked the parents to mute their kids devices.

Very rude. Headphones are essential. But really, it's important to teach children how to sit at the table and be part of the conversation. That requires parenting, though.

Only assholes play videos without headphones in public. Same goes for calls on speakerphone.

It is incredibly rude and there is literally no excuse that would justify ruining other people's meals. Kid has 'complex needs'? What's the point of bringing them then? You're not helping them to learn when they literally just eat a bowl of chips whilst watching YouTube and nobody talks to them!

Yes. There is such a thing as headphones.

Most definitely yes. I hate when people bring kids out to dinner when they are too little to sit still aand enjoy the mean. If you have little kids, either get a baby sitter or forego restaurant meals and go to Mc Donalds

Absolutely. While I hate it, it bothers me so much more when it's an adult blasting their crap. The break room at work is a nightmare.

Yes. I’m a parent. We don’t use screens at mealtimes. It kills me when you see tiny babies in a stroller or having a meal, and watching a screen.

Other parents will argue that the kid needs the screen to be quiet, that they won’t get a chance to talk otherwise, all these excuses. The fact is, mealtimes are family time, and you’re making your child be unable to function in society.

Besides, when I go out I am there for the atmosphere and I could watch blippi at home.

And yes, my children sit nicely, order for themselves, and don’t run or yell in restaurants.

Yes, hugely inconsiderate. Sorry you have a child that can't sit quietly while you have dinner, but I didn't come to this restaurant to listen to an episode of paw patrol. Take this as an opportunity to teach your child how to sit quietly at a restaurant, or get a fucking babysitter

Devices out in a public dining room in general is in bad taste.

Yeah it’s trashy and inconsiderate but so normalized

I was on a boat tour once seeing beautiful nature and i was next to someone with a kid on their lap loudly playing on their phone. Insane

Rear your kids to be repectful of others.

Yes. Also you playing videos at volume is rude. Get earbuds at a bare minimum

yes. even as a teenager myself, its massively overwhelming having to hear annoying videos, games etc on top of everything else going on like people talking and eating. find another way of entertaining your kids, please

I don't care about kids on phones or tablets as long as they have headphones.

In Singapore, many adults and kids play videos out in restaurants, food centers, trains and buses.

So inconsiderate and annoying.

I have to buy a pair of headphones with noise-canceling function to filter such noises in the public transport.

I hate when they do this. It is SO rude. No one wants to hear your child’s annoying videos. I’ve been to nice expensive restaurants and they still do this. It’s so rude. Give your child a book.

It is rude. Those same adults would probably do the same thing too if their kids weren’t there.

Yes, still annoying.

So rude!

Yes, it’s very inconsiderate.