Digital Smarts - Going to Summer Camp Sans Cell Phone

A recent study showed that sixth graders who spent just five days away at a tech-free sleepaway camp developed greater real-world communication skills including the ability to read facial expressions, make eye contact and interpret tone of voice. Imagine what a whole summer away from a cell phone could do. This thought was taken up  in a recent New York Times article entitled Phone Sick at Camp. An interesting point the article suggests is that it is often parents who are more anxious about giving up the constant connection to their kids. To prepare for such a detachment, many of the camps recommend one family tech-free day per week over the month before camp starts.