For many parents, sending a child to sleepaway camp comes with a mix of emotions – excitement, nerves, stress and lots of worry. But there’s also something else I hear parents admit (sometimes quietly) … relief. Because for the first time all year, their child’s phone will be gone. No negotiating screen limits. No late-night scrolling on the iPad. No constant pull of texts, apps, games and social media. Just seven weeks with the device finally out of reach. In an age of AI and continuous digital connection, this might be the most intentional decision a parent can make.
Every summer, we watch the same moment unfold. The buses pull into camp, girls spill out, hugging friends they haven’t seen in a year, squealing with excitement. Soon after, they hand in their phones and say goodbye to their technology for the summer.
What’s changed, especially in the last few years, is the palpable sense of relief that follows. A collective exhale. Campers have arrived at their safe place – where they can unplug and just be kids. It’s hard to describe what we, as camp directors, witness firsthand: how seven weeks without phones, texts and social media can favorably impact a child’s confidence, friendships and ability to connect with others.
Communication at sleepaway camp is a throwback to an earlier, pre-tech era. Parents send their child away for seven weeks. They are allowed three scheduled 10-minute phone calls (on a landline) and one in-person Visiting Day. Campers write letters home. While parents can catch a glimpse of camp life through photos and Instagram highlights, the real magic of camp – the stuff that truly matters – can’t be captured on a screen.
Discomfort and Detox
Once campers settle in, there can be moments of discomfort without their technology. They may miss scrolling through social media and having entertainment at their fingertips. This sense of “withdrawal” is proof of how deeply phones are woven into everyday life. Today’s sleepaway campers are not just giving up games or videos. They’re stepping away from algorithm-driven content, AI-curated feeds and constant social comparison. The important thing? That discomfort is fleeting. It quickly turns into something else: playing cards with bunkmates, trading jibbitz or sticker beans, reading books (no kindles allowed) or simply sitting on the bunk porch making friendship bracelets and talking about nothing and everything.
Being Present
At Point O’Pines, we talk a lot about being present and appreciating the gift of camp. Without a phone in their hands, there’s nothing to look down at. Instead, campers look up. They notice their beautiful surroundings. They make eye contact with others. They listen longer. Conversations stretch without interruption. Games can last hours instead of minutes.
Without a phone, there is no easy way to “opt out” of the moment. If campers are looking for more, they invent something. They choreograph a silly dance to perform at the talent show – not for TikTok, but just because. If they’re upset, they talk to their counselor, to their friend, to their big camp sister. In a world increasingly shaped by AI – where everything is customized and instantaneous – these types of unfiltered experiences are becoming rare.
Real Social Skills Take Over
Artificial Intelligence is designed to mimic human thinking – learning, predicating, problem-solving and even choosing words for us. And while AI has certainly helped in many areas (including simplifying administrative processes for camp directors!), camp itself remains refreshingly human.
There are no AI shortcuts to building human relationships. When phones and other devices are removed, campers have the time to connect face to face with each other and their counselors to forge bonds and friendships that will carry them through life.
A device-free environment also gives campers the opportunity to navigate the ups and downs of human relationships. I’ve watched campers work through conflict in person, sometimes for the very first time. Instead of texting or crafting the ‘perfect’ response – they sit down, talk it out, and learn how to listen. With guidance from our staff, they face hard moments head-on and grow from them.
The Takeaway
Parents often tell me that when their daughters reunite with their camp friends during the year, phones barely come out. These girls are used to being together – really together – without a screen in between them.
Seven weeks without technology does not mean kids fall behind socially. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. What we see, summer after summer, is that our campers return home more confident, more resilient, and more connected. In an age of AI and constant digital noise, camp gives kids something rare: time, space and the freedom to just be kids. And that’s something no algorithm can replace.
About the contributor:
Nikki Grossman is one of the Directors of Point O’ Pines Camp, an all girls sleepaway camp in the spectacular Adirondack Mountains. At POP, Nikki oversees all aspects of Residential Life – making sure all campers and staff are happy, healthy and having fun! Nikki serves on the SCOPE Associate Board and is devoted to giving all children, regardless of their socio-economic background, access to summer camp. Nikki is passionate about developing youth and believes summer camp has a profound impact on children – allowing them to gain confidence, independence and resilience.