At Chewonki, we’re really proud to offer a device free summer for our participants. Camp feels like one of the last spaces kids can go without technology and we take the responsibility of cultivating a device-free environment seriously. A device free summer can offer children the opportunity to get a break from technology and develop themselves in ways technology can limit.
Here are some of the growth opportunities we find in a device free camp environment:
- Campers connect with each other more and build strong relationships. Camp creates a magical time warp where one day feels like a week and because of that friendships form fast and they go deep! By just engaging with the people in their community, campers have the opportunity to bond with people on a deeper level than through devices.
- They learn to deal with conflict face-to-face. It’s so easy with social media for conflict to occur anonymously or passively and for there to be little to no consequences for hurting another person, whether intentionally or not. At camp, conflict happens. We don’t shy away from that because it’s inevitable when you put eight campers living in the same space together! But at camp, you have to deal with that conflict, you can’t hide from it. And as a camper, you have the amazing added benefit of your counselors being there to coach you through it and offer facilitation for the really tough conversations. Campers return home better able to navigate complex conflict with peers and bring that into their communities.
- We all stay in the present moment better. Without devices pulling our attention all the time, campers are able to engage with the world around them in that specific time and place. So much of camp is about the fleeting moments that can only happen in nature. With their eyes peeled for a frog hiding in the pond or focused on tying that knot juuuust right, campers are able to focus on what’s directly in front of them and let go of some of the outside noise that’s so hard to avoid at home.
- Kids actually like it! Often I hear from our oldest campers that they actually like being off their phones for their time at camp. They like that they can use camp as an excuse to tell their friends “sorry, I’m not available!” without having to seem uncool or disconnected. Campers often tell us they feel more energized being away from technology, but that it’s so hard to make that choice for themselves outside of camp where there’s so much pressure to be constantly plugged in.
- They get a break from the outside world. It’s impossible to fully escape the realities of the world while at camp and it’s actually very important to talk about how it affects the camp experience. But a break from devices can offer campers a respite from the news and social media and therefore time to just focus on being a kid. They can stay engaged with their personal development, building friendships, engaging with community, enjoying the natural world in a way that hopefully gives them the mental space to put down the harder realities of the world for a little while.
- It can help maintain eye health. For real! Our eyes need a balance of looking at fields of distance both near and far to stay healthy. Technology has led to a lot of close field of vision time and not enough gazing off into the distance to balance that out. At camp, we do a lot of soaking up beautiful landscapes- across a lake, a soccer field, a mountain top, the archery range… Learn more about this on the Unexplainable Podcast.
See more news stories about the impact of tech-free camp on kids:
