Let kids reboot at camp

Published 3:57 pm Tuesday, May 19, 2009

In his commencement speech Monday at the University of Pennsylvania, Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt urged about 6,000 graduates to leave their virtual worlds in order to find out what is most important to them.

“Turn off your computer. You’re actually going to have to turn off your phone and discover all that is human around us,” Schmidt advised.

That’s how successful Google is — the CEO can speak heartfelt heresy, and know it will never hurt the bottom line. No mobile phone, computer or TV CEO could afford to utter such words.

Likely some earnest graduates Googled “all that is human around us” to see what the heck Schmidt was talking about. Probably while he was talking. OK, we kid. We think.

But it is disconcerting to read articles about children and teens unwilling to go to summer camp because they would have to leave all their electronics at home. Ah, the rugged, self-reliant American.

While no one believes that new jobless college graduates will turn off their computers for even one second, understandably, it isn’t too late for the younger generation. Send them to camp. Not computer camp, prepare-for-your-SATs camp, or any non-fun camp. Just a camp that has canoes and forbids gadgets.

We hear endlessly how children don’t get enough time outside, or enough exercise, and they spend too much time texting. As it happens, a week or two in the woods does wonders for body, mind and soul. (Nope, no iPhone app for that.)

The Associated Press reports that while “experts” agree that unplugging is a good idea, it will be a “shock to the system” for those who are digitally dependent. Sounds serious. To date, however, no fatalities have been reported during the detoxing of the digitally dependent.

According to one camper who survived: “At first, it was scary,” camper Sean Hakim, 16, told the AP. But, “once you get there, you realize you don’t really need it. You are always with people, doing something.”

Now there’s a concept.

Camp gets kids outdoors and out of their bedrooms. It takes kids out of isolation and puts them in cabins together. It gets them away from the constant noise from TV, movies and the Internet. Not to mention traffic. Kids sing songs at camp, rather than download them. And because they are incommunicado, campers get a week off from constantly checking in with their parents, or vice versa. While difficult, this helps both parties in the long run.

And think of it: A week or two of no ringtones. A true vacation.