By Emma Clayton

MY brother and I still remember the time we were ordered to leave the tea table for laughing.

The interminable giggling of two young children became too much for our dad, who told us not to return until we'd stopped. I remember us both standing at the other side of the door, trying and failing to pull serious faces.

While laughing at the table wasn't generally frowned upon, singing certainly was. As far as bad table manners went, it was up there with visible elbows and yawning during a meal. And so ingrained was the mantra: "Thank you for a nice breakfast/dinner/tea, please may I leave the table" we could've chanted it in our sleep.

I can well imagine how my parents would have reacted to us plonking mobile 'phones next to our plates.

Yet according to a new survey, nearly half the nation's diners think nothing of using their mobiles during a meal; for texting, phoning, scrolling through social media or taking pictures of their food.

York Press:

A quarter of all restaurant users take photos of their meals...

I recently went out for a birthday dinner and as soon as the food arrived, the three teenagers in the party were taking close-up shots of their dishes. Their 'phones remained on the table throughout the meal.

According to research by restaurant booking service OpenTable, more than 40 per cent of Brits post images of their food onto social media. One third admit to asking for the restaurant's Wifi password before they even order their meal, while 40 per cent wouldn't go to a restaurant without Wifi.

The research reveals that while a quarter of restaurant guests interrupt a meal to take photos, restaurateurs are embracing the trend, encouraging people to share their dining experiences online. Presumably if it's a bad experience, they're not so keen I'm with Soraya Overend, a project manager for Jamie's Ministry of Food, who welcomes the notion of a no-phone zone in restaurants.

"Meal times are when people should sit down, relax and enjoy the company of their partners, friends and families," says Soraya, adding that no-phone zones should be adopted at home as well.

Quite right too, although I suspect we're in the minority.

Surely people can take time out to enjoy a meal with family or friends without the distraction of a mobile on the table. Neglecting fellow diners to use the phone is just rude. And what's more boring than a photo of someone else's food? I'm barely interested in my own food - why would I want to see what anyone else is eating?

It seems rather old-fashioned to suggest that this is all bad table manners - but since manners are what separates us from chimps, I think it's worth highlighting.