There actually can be fun times without cell phones.
Like many people, I have a love-hate relationship with my smartphone. Its most valuable role is as a high-tech tool to stay in close contact with my loved ones. But I also rely on it for a great many tasks, including accessing email, mapping programs, checking weather radar, using the camera function and for some social media, just to name a few. On the negative side, you are never really away from the office or people contacting you for any number of reasons, including folks I don’t know selling things I don’t need.
In the not-too-distant past, phones had rotary dialers, no screens and were attached to the wall by a cord. If you were away from your home or workplace, people trying to reach you either got no answer or, if they were lucky, they could leave a message. When traveling or on vacation, we called people from pay phones (with coins) and sent post cards (with stamps). People did not know where one another were at all times, and life was actually fine that way. How things have changed!
Smartphones and instant connectivity have since infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives. One of the most serious consequences of this hyper-connectivity for young people is the constant access to social media. The pressure to be interesting and living a perfect life, or conversely, sharing how miserable you are with everyone you know, is now the norm. It is a lot to keep up. Life is rarely perfect, and we are not all movie star material.
The lack of meaningful face-to-face interactions with other people has left many young adults with severe insecurities and poor communication skills. It is far easier to text or comment on social media than it is to navigate social complexities and a crowded room of your peers. This is a problem that directly affects personal relationships and the ability to go out into the world and be successful in the workplace. There is a long list of dangers associated with social media that could fill a book, such as diminishing attention spans, bullying, self-confidence and eating issues, just to name a few.
It would seem that we are hopelessly addicted to our smart devices and that they present serious dangers. However, it is also surprisingly easy to get along without them. Each summer, I serve as the director for the local Camp Kiwanis summer camp program. It is an old-school traditional sleepaway camp, where smartphones are off-limits and we still have skit night, dance parties and a playground. It is a brief return to simpler times that happens every summer.
Campers are not allowed to bring their phones with them to summer camp. Teens working as camp counselors (which is very hard work, by the way) are required to leave their devices in the office while they’re on duty. The adult camp staff is reassured and encouraged each summer to see how quickly kids slip back into face-to-face playtime and active socializing when the phones are not part of the equation.
It does not take long for most kids to begin to sit and talk, or even start up a game of tetherball with a stranger on the playground—if they don’t have a smartphone in front of them. I also firmly believe the kids appreciate the break, even if they don’t realize it. There is less pressure, and it’s much easier just to have fun and make new friends in this phone-free setting.
Now I am not proposing that we do away with our smartphones. However, I believe they may be causing more harm than good among young people. To me, the challenge is to find the balance between using the phone as a tool and becoming obsessed with it to the point that you ignore your family (or teachers). Failing to develop the skills needed to navigate relationships and the workplace later in life is a real and serious issue.
So, as we begin a new school year, I encourage students, parents and teachers to try to be more engaged with the folks that are around us and not the device. We should encourage students to leave the phones at home or turn them off when in class or studying. This will lead to better learning, new friendships and the development of useful skills for years to come. Trust me on this, I’m a summer camp director. OS
Scott Mitchell is a field archaeologist, scientific illustrator and director of the Silver River Museum & Environmental Education Center at 1445 NE 58th Avenue, inside the Silver River State Park. Museum hours are 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday. To learn more, go to silverrivermuseum.com
