Parents are spending up to $19,000 on summer camps that ban their kids' phones
At summer camps that ban phones, Gen Alpha kids spend weeks without the ability to text, scroll, or ghost their friends. Here's how they adjust.
Parents are investing as much as $19,000 for their children to attend summer camps that forbid the use of smartphones. These camps are increasingly popular among Gen Alpha, the first generation to have grown up with smartphones. Emma Bobson, a 13-year-old from Long Island, New York, found herself constantly searching for her phone during her first few days at a tech-free camp in Pennsylvania.
The thousand-dollar digital detox is not unusual; 90% of summer camps prohibit any technology use, according to the American Camp Association. Phone bans at these camps are strictly enforced; a camper was even suspended for smuggling their phone in and had to leave the premises for three days. Instead of phones, campers write and mail letters to their families.
For most Gen Alpha campers, this experience is alien; Emma had never written a letter outside of camp. The tuition for these camps ranges from $14,600 to $18,975. Parents like Meredith Worth invest in these camps because they provide a break from social media for their children and an opportunity to learn independence and networking skills.
At Greenwood Trails, a sleepaway camp in Connecticut, campers must turn in their phones upon arrival. The lack of phone use can make socializing more difficult at first, but for some campers like Emma, it makes talking to friends easier and more authentic.
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