I have seen a couple of digital detox camps online for both adults and kids. I am particularly interested in whether or not digital detox camps, and/or camps which include education about digital moderation, are a viable solution? Could they make lasting impact and allow the kids to self moderate their own usage? Curious to hear peoples’ thoughts…
I believe digital detox camps are great ways to get in touch with yourself, with nature, and with your overall surroundings. They can be a great start in working towards a healthy lifestyle, but I don’t believe it’s any sort of cure by any means. It will be up to the individual to regulate their behavior once they leave these camps. Habit is key and making sure that we don’t fall back into our old habits when returning from these camps.
-Pat
I’m kind of mixed on the issue. I’ve seen the extremes like China, where children are practically put in a halfway house. But the Western equivalent and its various millennial-friendly camps rings a bit hollow to me too: while supporting great experiences, they don’t seem to have legs beyond the event (other than maybe making a few new friends) and there seems to be little that the participants couldn’t have done without the camp.
Despite its trendiness, I’ve been more impressed with alternatives like Vipassana retreats where people learn to mentally slow down and explore their thoughts independent of anything specific to a given technology. Even if the 10 days seems a bit harsh of an investment these days.