"Missing ingredients: Digital commensality and its challenges in fostering psychological well-being"

Commensality, the act of sharing a meal or drink together, has been widely associated with psychological well-being in traditional in-person settings. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and its necessary physical distancing measures have prompted a shift toward digital commensality, where individuals gathered online to virtually share food and beverages. This study investigates the relationship between digital commensality and psychological well-being, using a cross-national survey employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings reveal that individuals reported experiencing lower levels of happiness after engaging in digital commensality compared to before. Moreover, respondents highlighted several notable characteristics of digital commensality that explain why it is not associated with psychological well-being as in-person commensality is. These include different ways of sharing food and drinks, concerns about eating sounds, increased self-consciousness, place-related issues, and the struggle of digital commensality to provide the social and emotional benefits typically generated by in-person commensality. In conclusion, our study suggests that digital commensality is associated with discomfort and falls short in fostering levels of connection and well-being compared to its in-person counterpart.