How Camp Teaches You To Be Social Without Social Media

Electronics add convenience to our daily lives and enrich the curriculum of our children’s schools. Young people engage with laptops, smart devices, and phones every day to communicate with friends, complete homework assignments, and interact with the world.

In a society so ingrained with technology, our young people run the risk of not knowing how to engage in the real world. Participation in summer enrichment activities, such as overnight camp, help children develop social and communication skills that will be essential for their success as they move from their preteen years into adolescence and adulthood.

Make Friends in Person, Not Online

Children may readily make friends on Fortnite, but communicating with peers in real life may be a struggle. Summer camp gives children the confidence and necessary social skills to thrive in a variety of situations, online and off. Traditional overnight summer camps, including Falcon Camp, focus on the development of social skills that schools often do not have the time or resources to teach them.

The American Camp Association published a recent study on the impact of two-week sleepaway camps on social skills in campers. It analyzed the changes in behavior among 167 children based in 6 different camps located across the country. Children completed questionnaires at the end of the camp addressing their social skills and overall well-being. A whopping 95% reported a positive change in their social skills, and parents reported a significant change in their child’s ability to communicate and socialize.

The camping professionals at Falcon Camp want to see your child succeed, both in camp and back at home. We work to instill camaraderie and friendship among our campers and help your children develop important social tools that help them become successful adults. At camp, your child can strengthen their social and communication skills for lifelong benefits.

Learn Essential Social Skills for Life

Summer camps give children the opportunity to disconnect from the everyday and commune with other people in a natural environment, which can have several notable benefits. While some campers (and parents) may initially struggle with the notion of being away from their electronic devices, prioritizing face-to-face communication at camp can enrich a child’s social health.

Camp environments serve to provide young people with essential social skills that follow them for the rest of their lives, including:

• Teamwork. This is a crucial skill that children need to develop in order to function successfully in the real world and their adult life. So much of our world relies on being able to communicate and collaborate. Reliance on electronic devices can stunt our ability to communicate problems with one another. At camp, children engage in team-building activities that teach them how to communicate with one another and work together toward a common goal in a face-to-face environment.
• Independence. Children may have to do things on their own that they may not have experience with, such as making new friends and voicing concerns. Parents cannot intervene or work as a stepping-stone to friendships or solve problems. As children face new situations guided by helpful and encouraging camp professionals, they will gain the communication skills necessary to advocate for themselves when they return home.
• Self-Confidence. Developing a child’s voice is important, and our online personas do not always reflect our real-life confidence. For many children, they can communicate online with relative ease, but struggle with confidence in social situations. Camps provide opportunities for young people to create and showcase their talents in a safe space outside of the internet. Though creating, performing, or presenting may make children nervous at first, seeing a task through will make them feel accomplished and confident in their abilities. Falcon Camp fosters a culture of positive interactions and uplifting communication, so children go home feeling like they can tackle life’s challenges with more ease and less anxiety.

Camps help hone experiences and meld children in ways that technology cannot. At camp, your child can put away the smartphone, join a community of peers who are having the same experience, and sharpen their social and communication skills for life.

A place for technology will always exist in the learning curriculum. However, learning to exist and develop new talents without smart devices is equally essential. Overnight summer camps like Falcon Camp help young people develop essential life skills, forge new friendships, and realize talents that will serve them well in the years to come.

Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2013/07/01/197631254/kids-unplugged-summer-camps-ban-electronics
https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/02/14/want-to-get-your-child-away-from-her-cell-try-summer-camp/
https://www.beyondthetent.com/health-benefits-of-camping/
https://koa.com/blog/the-benefits-of-camping-why-camping-is-good-for-you/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/decisions-teens-make/201608/serious-learning-happens-summer-camp-without-technology