Summer Camp in the Digital Age

“Unplugging” kids at camp is a hot topic in today’s summer camp conversation. The research is clear: The amount of time kids spend in front of computer and television screens is higher than ever, with few signs of decreasing. What does this mean for kids at camp?

There seems to be two schools of thought on how technology effects summer camp. One side makes the argument to completely “unplug” kids while at camp -- banning cell phones, digital cameras, tablets, and any other technological devices in order to create stronger communities. As technology is now a critical component of our daily routines, this has become a more daunting task than ever before. In a recent Apple promotional film, the Apple Watch is presented as an intimate extension of the wearer, and as seamlessly integrating technology into everyday life.

While many feel that technology at summer camp undermines the foundations, of camping traditions, other camps embrace technology as part of the camper’s world. Many camps allow some technology while banning others (such as not using wi-fi enabled devices) as a happy medium. Representing this school of thought on this matter, Jason Miller, in his article “Time to Rethink Technology at Summer Camp?” suggests:

"We would be fooling ourselves to believe that technology can be totally barred from camp. In the second decade of the 21st century, electronic gadgets are everywhere. As time goes on, however, a completely screen-free summer may be unavoidable. Striking a healthy balance will be a recipe for success.”

While technology use at camp has certainly increased, this is merely a portion of a long-standing discourse on the importance of "getting away" from society to gain some perspective on one's own life and the surrounding world. In the epilogue to her 2006 book, A Manufactured Wilderness, Van Slyck illustrates this interaction between the conceptual intentions of camp and modern life:

“Summer camps may have positioned themselves in opposition to the fast pace and artificiality of modern life, but the cultural landscape reveals that these manufactured versions of the wilderness implicitly worked to support and maintain modern culture.”

Perhaps the same can be said for the argument of assimilating technology at summer camp. As a built environment, the summer camp landscape will continue to grow and change in response to today’s world. What does this mean for the future designs of summer camps? It seems that they will continue to grow and change in order to adapt to campers' needs in the digital world. In order to be successful, summer camps must integrate the realities of today’s world into the camp landscape and experience.