Sunday Snippet: Counter Screen Time with Camp

Even back in ancient times, when kids crowded around the black & white television, the concern about how much screen time is too much was a concern of parents.  With the plethora of screens invading nearly every aspect of our lives, that concern has only intensified.  Richard Louv, co-founder of the Children & Nature Network and author of Last Child in the Woods, digs deeply into nature deficit disorder as it relates to the loss of outdoor time as our children are increasingly inundated with screen time.  And research is solidifying the correlations between increased screen time and the spike in child (as well as adult) anxiety.

We recently visited the benefits of becoming phone free at camp and how campers actually have come to embrace the freedom from the tightening tether of the cell phone.  Well, the screen free environment of camp can also play a positive role in reducing the detriments of excessive screen time.  A recent article posted on the American Camp Association‘s Parents’ Blog, contributor, Audrey Monke explores the benefits of a camp experience in reducing the anxiety producing effects of too much screen time.  In Too Much Screen Time? Four Ways Summer Camp Can Help (Audrey Monke, ACACamps.org, Oct. 8, 2018), Audrey shares the following ways camp can counter the negative effects of screen time:

Detox
Just being completely unplugged for a few weeks is a new and refreshing experience for kids—a true digital detox. Because they’re having fun and staying engaged and entertained, they get over their screen addiction quickly. And, because it’s a “cold turkey” approach with no ambiguity (everyone’s following the same rules), campers don’t push back against being unplugged like they do at home.

Changed Perspective
By experiencing screen-free fun and friendships, many campers express a new desire to spend less time on their devices once they return home. Campers and staff have frequently reported examples of providing leadership in asking friends to participate in phone-free times.

Appreciation for Nature and Outdoor Recreation
While counting shooting stars, appreciating spectacular views from a hike, or smelling the smoke from their campfire, campers aren’t thinking about their TV, video games, and cell phones. Instead, they are experiencing nature and being truly present with others. Many discover new outdoor activities they enjoy, and they are inspired to spend more time outside and in the moment once they return home.

Better Face-to-Face Friendship Skills
Social interactions can be difficult, and many kids choose to keep interactions safely behind a screen. At camp, while sharing stories around the campfire and spending quality face-to-face time with new and old friends, campers gain more confidence in their social skills and are more likely to pursue real, face-to-face friendships upon returning home.

Although reducing screen time is not the only factor in lowering the anxiety so many of our children are feeling, the screen-free experience at camp helps kids realize that being away from the screen can be relaxing and freeing.  They begin to understand that taking time away from screens to read a book, play outside, exercise or actually (not virtually) hang with friends is a lot of fun!

Thanks for reading and have a great week everyone!