|
|
Away but connected: Sleepaway camps differ on e-mails and cell phones
It's the time of year parents start looking around for summer camps for their children. Something to consider when making a decision is the camp's policy on allowing or not cell phones and email. "Part of the experience of going way is being away" insist many camp directors, who claim cell phones and e-mail "are antithetical to the purpose of sleepaway camp, tethering them to home when they should be making new friends", reports The Star Ledger. "Cell phone withdrawal can be difficult for a 12-year-old weaned on instantaneous connection and 24-hour communication. For most kids who attend a traditional sleepaway camp, that means no text messaging, no e-mail, no camera phones, no blogging. No iPods or BlackBerries or Sidekicks. Camps also don't want to be responsible for colossal cell phone bills incurred by campers. The popularity of digital camera phones is also a "huge" issue, raising serious privacy concerns. But while most parents don't make a camp's decision to wire -- or not to wire -- a deciding factor in choosing where to send their children, some definitely appreciate the time spent away from the computer". Related articles: -- No cell phones at summer camps - When looking for a summer camp, a new critera has come up, is this camp "plugged" or "unplugged". In today's world most teens don't want to leave home without their electronic toys. And most parents like to keep in touch thanks to cell phones. Camp directors are having to respond to this new reality and decide how much they will let the wired world into their simpler, far more rustic communities. -- Mom and Dad Re: Homesickness - In a thoughtful and emotional article for the NY Times, Katie Hafner looks into wired kids going off to camp. Counter to the notion of a sleep-over camp, where children go for weeks without speaking to their parents as they master a sense of independence, parents and offspring alike have come to expect a constant connection. |
|
BULK SMS GATEWAY