At camp, I am able to take a step away from the real, outside world and be present with the people around me.
Technology and social media have really taken a toll on our society in the last couple of years, during the pandemic it was our only connection to the outside world, to keep up to date with our friends and family as we isolated ourselves from each other. It was a source of entertainment for many and provided a sense of normalcy, that everyone else was experiencing the same isolation.
This mindset however has been detrimental to the way we have continued to live our lives, after the pandemic. As this need to feel included in everyones lives becomes more intense. Its only when you are forced to separate yourself from technology that you see it for what it has become, a tool that was once used to help us connect with the world, is driving us to disconnect from those around us.
Here at IHC, we have adapted a zero technology policy. For some this can be a struggle, its an adjustment to take such a big part of our everyday, and throw it in a lockbox, but for others its a blessing, to challenge ourselves to life without technology, striping back to natural forms of entertainment.
This policy is catered towards staff and campers, as allowing everyone to disconnect encourages them to reconnect with each other, and allows everyone to feel good in the natural world, building their self-confidence without the pressure of social media.
Being technology free encourages our staff and campers to get out of their comfort zones, in the real world we are able to hide behind our phones, portraying to the world the version of ourselves we want them to see, but at camp this disguise is taken away and we are able to be our authentic selves, allowing us to gain confidence in the person we are, with the hope that it will follow us through back into the real world at the end of the summer.
From a personal perspective I find it refreshing to have a no phone policy at IHC, as it challenges me to step out of my comfort zone, at meal times, walking down the bunk line and when in my cabin I am able to make connections with people that I don’t work closely with day to day, furthering the sense of community around camp. We are able to have real conversations with the people around us, usually resulting in making authentic friendships.
Being technology free allows us to reflect, recharge and reconnect!
I used the opportunity at the end of orientation, when most staff had become well versed in camp life without technology to ask how they felt about not having their phone on hand, and the general consensus was the same throughout our community, as although the initial thought of being phoneless for almost an entire 7 weeks, we believe it is a vital part of this experience, and the journey at camp would not be the same if we had our phones on us. The relief of being free from online judgement and social media pressure lifted a weight from our shoulders. We don’t feel the pressure to post about the amazing time we are having at camp, because we can’t, which actually allows us to have more fun being present in the moment.
When I imagine what the camp experience would be like if we had access to our phones, it reminds me of that feeling when your at a concert, and all you can see if phones in the air, the important placed on capturing the memory, rather than living in the memory itself. Here at IHC we are given the opportunity to live life in real life and we couldn’t be more grateful.
