BodiMojo Teen Health Blog – Teenage Nutrition, Fitness, Stress, Relationships & More

By Remy Marin

Since I was ten years old, I’ve spent seven weeks each summer at an overnight camp located in New Hampshire.  For me, what makes camp special is its back-to-basics approach.  To preserve this simplistic community, there is a ban on almost all technology, though music-only iPods are allowed with bunk dance parties and long bus rides.  That means no television, no computers, and no cell phones.

For my friends and me, this has never been an issue.  We’d all rather spend quality time with each other then surf the web.  Plus, who wants to be texting when there’s nothing more exciting than receiving an old-fashioned letter?  A number of recent articles, however, have revealed that some teens are having difficulty unplugging once the summertime rolls around.  An ABC News article explains, “For a generation used to texting, Facebook, and YouTube, going away to sleepaway camp can be unnerving.

The article continues, “Many campers are ‘a little panicked’ to part with their cell phones, said Tony Sparber, founder of New Image Camps, with locations in Florida and Pennsylvania. “Some try to smuggle them in or bring more than one phone in case one is confiscated.” Upon reading this, I was completely shocked!  I had never before spoken to someone who had difficulty parting with technology for the summer.  My friends and I agree that technology would ruin the camp atmosphere we have come to know and love.

I think the biggest problem here is that teens are starting to replace social activities with technological communication.  Even though sending a text or writing on someone’s Facebook wall may be easy, true human contact can’t be replaced.  One expert explains, “‘Face-to-face communication remains the most powerful human interaction,’ says Kathleen Begley, Ed.D., author of “Face-to-Face Communication, Making Human Connections in a Technology-Driven World.” ‘As wonderful as electronic devices are, they can never fully replace the intimacy and immediacy of people conversing in the same room and it has worked for millions of years.’”  In my opinion, unplugging during the summer and spending quality face-to-face time with people instead is a great way to revive and refresh your social life!

But the reluctance to unplug spreads further than modern teens.  According to Parent Dish, “it isn’t just teens who suffer separation anxiety when they must leave the gadgets at home.  Mom and Dad, who are used to being able to reach out and touch their kids at any time, can also feel out of sorts when that connection is broken.”

While they have relaxed over time, my parents themselves tend to be nervous when it comes to safety and keeping in touch.  Yet during the summers that my younger sister and I have spent at overnight camp, my parents have had no problem unplugging.  With a visiting day in the middle of the summer and a letter once or twice a week, my parents have no trouble plugging in the old-fashioned way.  Plus, if there was any real problem, the camp would act quickly and call home.

So, here’s what I think.  Teens need to realize that technology can’t take the place of real social time.  With fewer stresses and responsibilities than there are during the school year, the summer should be spent outside and enjoyably, not catching up on your favorite YouTube channel.  The summer is a perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your friends and family without the distractions of technology.  So shut down the Internet, turn off your cell phone, and put up an “away” message.  It’s time to experience how a summer’s really done.

For more information, try these links: Samford, YPulse, Oakland Tribute.

Remy Marin is a Boston-area high school junior who is interested in humanities and foreign languages. In her spare time she loves to compete in forensics, dance, and spend time with her friends, sister – and hamster!