I won't take credit for this at all, but it's a great idea that needs to get around more.
New Challenge for 2012
The first person to crack and look at their phone picks up the check. The (initial) purpose of the game was to get everyone off the phones free from twitter/fb/texting and to encourage conversations.
Rules:
1) The game starts after everyone has ordered.
2) Everybody places their phone on the table face down.
3) The first person to flip over their phone loses the game.
4) Loser of the game pays for the bill.
5) If the bill comes before anyone has flipped over their phone everybody is declared a winner and pays for their own meal.
Emergencies are the exception. If your phone is blowing up and you need to take a call it's understandable. The aim is to get people away from their phones when they are with friends and family and work on that social interaction rather than work on a social distraction.
I'm going to try this with my sister and my cousin. Because dammit all I want to do is eat for free and they are easy prey. I will not try this with my buddy Flack because he only got a cellphone for the first time within the last year and I'd be shocked if he actually even knows how to use it.
