Is it Time for Your Child’s Screen Time Detox?
No screens? No problem. At Camp Jeanne d’Arc, a traditional overnight summer camp for girls, campers turn in all of their devices at check-in and do not see them again until the camp session is over. And the best part is that the kids don’t even notice that they are participating in a digital detox!
A tech-free, totally unplugged summer did wonders for the social skills of my daughters. I am not an expert on brain neurons or social relationships or technology by any means. I have not read the endless research that points to the benefits of reducing screen time. But I am an expert on two young teenage girls. And this is what I have to say:
Three and a half weeks at a tech-free overnight summer camp has improved my daughters’ abilities to form and maintain meaningful social relationships.
In today’s digital age, children are increasingly glued to screens, leading many parents to wonder about the benefits of a “screen time detox for kids.” Sending your child to a tech-free summer camp experience can provide a much-needed break from digital devices, allowing them to build social skills, reconnect with nature, and discover new passions.
What Will Replace Screen Time?
The average screen time for kids ages 8 through 15 is around 6 to 7 hours per day, with some variations depending on the study. Young people spend a significant amount of time watching TV, videos, and using smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and computers.
I realize that this screen time is not all bad. Most of my girls’ schoolwork is completed on laptops or iPads. My one daughter often reads books via her tablet while the other relaxes while doodling on digital design apps. But even if the screen time is not “bad,” a digital detox can be hugely beneficial, especially at camp when the hours not on screens are replaced with opportunities for social interactions, connecting with nature, and skill building.
Deeper Social Relationships
Here are a few social benefits to unplugging at a tech-free overnight summer camp that we have seen first-hand:
- Engage. When the phone is down and the girls are completely unplugged, they don’t have to consider if a better option is out there. They can focus on the here and now and fully engage in the activities, traditions, and relationships that are filling their time. Even cabin clean-up time becomes a bonding experience when your kids can’t sneak away to look at who might be texting!
- Homesickness. When kids unplug from technology, homesickness improves. It’s true! Connectivity to the world at home can increase homesickness…when campers go tech-free and learn new habits, new routines, and deepen relationships with those around them, their independence and resilience grows.
- Communication Skills. Learning to be present with someone is a skill that our daughters need to develop. A digital detox can create an environment where communications skills can be learned and practiced! Girls spend lots of time in their cabins forming friendships, managing conflict, and expressing themselves – all critical communication skills.
- Nothing to Fill the Void. Often technology can be a crutch in an awkward moment or to fill the gaps in conversation. But without it, our children build the skills to be fully present and engaged with the people they care about as well as be comfortable sitting in silence.
Connect with Nature
Unplugging from screens will help teens plug into the outdoors. Rather than “liking” a picture of nature, your child will be touching, smelling, listening, and seeing nature firsthand! Come to think of it, she will also be tasting nature as she picks fresh sugar snap peas from Camp Jeanne d’Arc’s own Victory Garden! And they won’t be doing it just for the Instagram story, they’ll be connecting with nature to connect with nature!
When my girls connect with nature, I see an immediate shift in their mood. I don’t think this is uncommon. Here’s what happens when my kids go into nature as they engage in a digital detox:
- Longer, deeper conversations. While walking the trails, conversations can meander from music to friendships to what-ifs to wildest dreams. Without grabbing that phone after hearing a ding or trying to catch cool photo opps, the conversations in nature (without screens!) are longer, and oftentimes deeper.
- They move their bodies! Think about it, looking at a screen is hard to do when you are moving. It is a very sedentary activity. But put the screen down and go outside, and kids are already engaging in more movement. At Camp, girls will connect with nature all while moving their bodies though hiking, gardenwork, canoeing … and more!
- Mixed ages and abilities exploring together. There have been times when all six people in my family are sitting in the same room, only feet away from each other, each of us on our screens doing six different things – watching IG reels, reading the news, playing block smasher, watching YouTube, etc. It’s like we are together, but worlds apart. The same thing can happen with kids on their phones. But regardless of age or ability, when you put six people on a creek-side trail, they start interacting with each other and exploring – investigating the snakeskin, finding the smoothest rock, or running their hands through quick-moving water – together!
- General boost in happiness. Maybe someone “fell” in the water, maybe the hiking group rendition of “Let it Go” really hit, or maybe the cool breeze just felt good. Usually, a jaunt in nature will have the whole crew smiling. Why? Who knows. But the fresh air, sunshine, and togetherness that being out in nature fosters probably had something to do with it.
Skill Building
Campers build valuable skills when they are not under the spell of screens.
Ok, maybe this isn’t totally fair. Many young people are learning very valuable skills on screens – writing, coding, digital design, etc. But there is also a lot of “lost time” on screens – time lost scrolling social media aimlessly, shopping for things they’ll never buy, or going down some pretty strange rabbit holes (we’ve all been there!). The time my girls spend at Camp Jeanne d’Arc is productive as they particpate in a digital detox and learn:
- Adventure Skills: From campcraft club to mountaineering to day hikes and everything in between, campers at Jeane d’Arc will come home from camp with skills to explore nature safely and with confidence.
- Target Sports: Archery, bbs, and riflery are activities that campers learn at camp. Each summer they can progress in their skill set as they earn pins and marksmanship accolades.
- Field Sports: Maybe your child has not been exposed to lacrosse before or doesn’t have access to tennis courts. Campers learn skills in all kinds of sports like soccer, tennis, softball, field hockey, volleyball, basketball and more.
- The Arts: Camp Jeanne d’Arc hires counselors with experience in the arts where they learn different fine art mediums, drama, dance and more.
- Lake Activities: Many campers participate in activities on the lake that they had never tried before including waterskiing, sailing, canoeing, and stand-up-paddleboard! Sailing and canoeing even have junior and senior clubs where campers test their expertise.
- Horseback Riding: Horseback riding at camp is a place where many campers learn new skills – from grooming and caring for horses, to mounting and dismounting, to trotting and cantering.
So, while digital skills are valuable in their own right, learning skills that they might not be exposed to at home is a huge benefit. Learning skills at camp will give young people the confidence to work through problems, make mistakes, and build on things they’ve learned in previous summers.
A Technology-free Summer is a Gift to our Kids
The tech-free overnight summer camp at Camp Jeanne d’Arc is a gift to these young girls – a gift of creating the optimal environment for creating meaningful friendships, connecting with nature, and building skills.
By participating in a screen time break, these girls are forming bonds based on person-to-person interactions. They converse, read facial expressions, hug, cry, sit in quietude, and laugh all of which enhance positive meaningful social relationships. A digital detox will allow the campers to immerse themselves in nature and reap the benefits of being outdoors. They will learn skills and experience a ton of personal growth.
So, who’s ready for a screen time detox?