The Advantages to Kids “Unplugging” at Summer Camp

Isn’t it pretty insane that just under 40 years ago you’d find kids walking around without any electronic device on their person at all? It almost seems like a dystopian concept to the children of today, quite frankly. These days, social interactions and distractions on electronic devices are par for the course, especially when it comes to kids. It’s changed the entire landscape of social interaction among youths, and parents often find themselves trying to keep up with the lightning fast way our kids interact. Thankfully, there’s summer camp to make up for that.

At camp, kids are given the chance to put their phones away every single day (even if they might hate it at first) and focus on face to face interactions, engaging physical activities, and just plain having fun. Let’s take a look at a few advantages your kid gains when they put the devices down and take a more hands-on approach to summer.

Cementing Friendships without Online Requests

There’s no denying that a lot of the social interactions we have in 2019, regardless of age, are done through cell phones and other electronic means. For kids, however, it’s at an almost constant clip. Whether they are on their phones, using a computer for school or leisure, or gaming online with their friends, they find ways to socialize, sure, but it’s not face to face communication.

While at camp, this changes big time. When the phones and other devices are put away and not instantly accessible, more meaningful communication takes their place. By giving kids the chance to unplug at summer camp for several hours a day, they’ll put more focus on building friendships without relying on digital means in addition to finding deeper ways of connecting with other campers.

While your kids will get to freely use their devices once back at home for the evening, they still get the many benefits of deviceless communication throughout the day.  

Unplugging Means Instant Gratification is Replaced with Creativity & Patience

Today, most answers to difficult problems are just a few finger taps and an internet search away. After all, instant gratification is the name of the digital landscape game. Fortunately, camp fosters a different mentality. Meaning, kids get the chance to overcome challenges without any assistance from the all-knowing world wide web. Not only that but having to apply themselves and spend time working through a problem means greater satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment once the challenge is overcome.  

Not only does this allow them to formulate their tactics and solutions creatively, but it gives them the chance to wholly succeed, either independently or collaboratively, without reaching for an electronic device or having to tap into an online resource. By trusting their own instincts, utilizing common sense, and learning through trial and error, kids are given numerous opportunities to grow and flourish into their true selves throughout the summer. These lessons are invaluable when helping shape and strengthen the unique identities of kids who attend camp, and one of the many benefits reaped when kids unplug at summer camp.

A Summer of Less Stress & More Confidence

Even if you don’t exactly think so, social media and constantly being “on” is stressful. Whether it’s feeling like they have to “like” their friends’ photos on Instagram, send a Snapchat of what they’re doing that exact moment, rifle off random thoughts on Twitter and Facebook, or share memes with friends in their group chat, there’s a lot of online influences that can impact kids’ self-esteem in ways both big and small.

When kids unplug at summer camp, weekdays are spent away from social media and endless online communication. Instead of spending their time scrolling through newsfeeds and combing the web, kids will have the chance to genuinely unwind, partake in activities they often don’t get to throughout the school year, and generally be more present than they would be if they had access to their cellular devices all day.

Not having the constant barrage of online influences allows kids to be more mindful of themselves and others, while also giving them the chance to build their confidence in ways other than online gratification. Much like we said about instant gratification in our prior point, summer day camp lets kids build confidence in more meaningful and lasting ways than status and photo likes.

In Conclusion

There are a number of advantages to decreasing the number of hours your child spends on their electronic devices each week. What better way to reap the benefits of those advantages than by enrolling them in a summer day camp? Not only will they be spending their days in a worthwhile manner, but they’ll also, likely unknowingly, be shaping themselves to be more well-rounded people.

While your child will have full access to their arsenal of devices once camp is over for the day, take comfort knowing they’ve spent their daylight hours productively and with great people, as opposed to being a serious couch potato. If you’re interested in enrolling your child in day camp here at Black Bear Lake, give us a call at 609-259-1777 or contact us online!