The phone game This is a brilliant idea – during meals with friends, everyone puts their phone on the table face down, and the first one to check theirs pays the bill. I'm absolutely as guilty of this as anyone else, but I am increasingly of the view that basically, phones are for when you are alone, and that checking them in company, outside of when you have received a text or call is Not On. Hypocritical, maybe, but I'd like to be better, and will attempt to do better this year.