The solo dinner routine: Do you actually prefer it?

[GhițăIstrate]

Just a straight question for those working regular hours here in SG.

How many of you eat dinner alone at home most nights? The standard routine: order GrabFood or Foodpanda, put on a video or scroll your phone, and that's it.

I'm validating a concept for a platform that swaps out that solo screen time for a casual 20-minute video meal with someone else.

Before I build anything, I want to know if "screen-fatigue" during meals is a real thing, or if you actually just prefer the quiet solo time after a day in the office. Is this a problem you'd actually want solved?

[casperrues]

Just a straight question for those working regular hours here in SG.

How many of you eat dinner alone at home most nights? The standard routine: order GrabFood or Foodpanda, put on a video or scroll your phone, and that's it.

I'm validating a concept for a platform that swaps out that solo screen time for a casual 20-minute video meal with someone else.

Before I build anything, I want to know if "screen-fatigue" during meals is a real thing, or if you actually just prefer the quiet solo time after a day in the office. Is this a problem you'd actually want solved?

A lot of this really depends on individual situations what works for one person in Singapore doesn’t always apply to others. Things change fast there too, so recent experiences would be more useful here.

[malcontent]

Okay, I’ll bite… it sounds like casual speed dating akin to “it’s just lunch” but virtual? How do you match people up? Would it be like tinder, swipe who you like to start?

[Max Headroom]

I reckon that by the time their work day is done, most peeps, especially here in Singapore, just want to switch off and zombie down with TikTok, or some other Jerry Springer-level online shizzle.

[Airportrips]

Interesting question — and honestly it probably depends on the person and the day.

For me, solo dinners are a mix. After a long workday, I do sometimes prefer the quiet, no-pressure time where I can just eat without talking or thinking too much. In that sense, the “alone + phone/video” routine is almost like switching off.

But at the same time, I do notice the “screen habit” you mentioned. It’s not always intentional — it just fills the silence. And if I skip it, the meal actually feels more relaxing and less rushed.

So I think “screen fatigue during meals” is real, but not always because people dislike screens — it’s more that they’re defaulting to them.

Your idea is interesting because it targets a middle ground: not full social interaction, but also not completely passive scrolling. A short, low-effort human connection during meals could work for some people, especially those living alone or working long hours.

The real question is probably:
Would people see it as relaxing or as another thing to engage with when they just want to disconnect?

That balance will decide whether it feels like a solution or just another app.

[malcontent]

I reckon that by the time their work day is done, most peeps, especially here in Singapore, just want to switch off and zombie down with TikTok, or some other Jerry Springer-level online shizzle.

Shizzle my nizzle, no cat sprung bizzle.

Word up Max!

[malcontent]

Translation for GhițăIstrate “for sure, my friend; none of that female obsession business” — so perhaps the MGTOW movement is alive and well in Singapore… which doesn’t bode well for the birthrate, or your app.

I have observed a strong undercurrent of social laziness for live interactions over time, especially in Singapore. Perhaps this is combined with the cynical idea of “kia boh” or “scared of wife” that goes back many generations in Singapore. Just some random musings.

[PNGMK]

No