Photo Courtesy of Refreshing Mountain Retreat

Technology can be a great tool. It’s created to connect people in different time zones and makes work more efficient. It’s a great tool, but it can lead to a next-level kind of distraction. For students who are digital natives, it’s almost a guarantee they have access to a phone or laptop. Tech vies for their attention, pulling them away from their chores, homework and even family interactions. For teens, it can be difficult to see the long-term effects.

What if there was a reset button on a teen’s relationship with his or her phone? What if there was a way to stop the tech overload and dismiss distractions for a short time? Teens need to know it’s possible to experience life without chiming notifications.

Summer is a great time for that. What’s even better? Time spent at summer camp. Instead of hands encompassing a phone, they’ll hold tight to ropes on a high-adventure ropes course. Instead of watching trendy YouTube videos, teens will go stargazing.

Camp can serve as a catalyst for rediscovering the world beyond a smartphone. A week at camp gives students the time and space to experience life real-time.