The food pic thing's no flash in the pan

A survey of more than 1000 people found 54 per cent of 18-24 year olds have taken a photo of their food while eating out. Picture: Tricia Watkinson Source: News Limited

YOUNG Aussies are a sharing bunch when it comes to eating out, with more than a third of them snapping pictures of their meal and showing it to friends on social media.

But their mums and dads have been much slower to embrace the trend, new research shows.

A survey of more than 1000 people has found 54 per cent of 18-24 year olds have taken a photo of their food while eating out, while 39 per cent have posted it somewhere online. This compares with only 5 per cent of  over-50s who say they share food snaps on forums such as Facebook and Twitter.

The survey is part of new data from CommBank Signals that also shows a rise in the popularity of fast food and cafes at the expense of restaurants.

An analysis of card transactions has found spending on fast food is up 23 per cent in the past four years, while spending at restaurants has dropped 9 per cent.

"People are time poor; people with families want to make mealtime more convenient for themselves,'' CommBank Signals economist Diana Mousina said.

"And consumers are also still concerned about their household finances.''

The study found the average Australian spends $70 eating out each week, for a total of $60 billion around the country each year.

People in Victoria ($81 each week) and NSW ($79) spend the most, while South Australians ($49) spend the least.

Lorraine Elliott, who writes a food blog and has just published a book under the name Not Quite Nigella, said she wasn't surprised so many people said they took pictures of their food.

"If you look around in a restaurant, everyone is doing it,'' she said. "If you eat something great, why not share it with somebody.

"Food is beautiful to photograph and every picture is tied to memories of a friend or loved one.''

Elliott said she always sought permission before taking photographs of the food and "most places are totally okay with it''.

Restaurants realised that positive exposure through social media could help attract customers.

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