So take the kid to the phone free

It is now impossible to exist without a smart mobile phone. Obviously, we keep in touch with family, friends, colleagues, but today we book a medical date or extend the license, with enough applications. If the phone is so essential for us, what should the children who are born into this digital world, where even their school keeps contact with them and their parents? How could they keep some digital detox?

• In today’s digital world, it is almost impossible to live without smartphones and is an integral part of our daily activities.

• Children are important for digital detox, which helps to protect their mental health and emotional development.

• Summer camps provide an ideal opportunity for children to gain valuable offline experiences and participate in community activities.

When we talk about a « gadget withdrawal », we have to see realistically what the options are – and although the tools cannot be completely eliminated from ourselves or our children, we can keep periodic withdrawals. The only question is how much and worth banning young people.

The younger generations are more conscious than we think, according to a recent research, 75%of the Z is already consciously monitoring their own screen use and actively looking for digital detox to protect its mental health, ie it hits the phone and does not hang on. And this attitude is also worthwhile to carry on to the generations that follow.

30 percent problematic

The alpha generation-born after 2010-has already arrived in the digital space. According to a 2020 Hungarian study, 44%of kindergarten children regularly use a mobile or tablet a day. This continuous online presence can hinder not only social skills, but also emotional development and academic performance, so it is very important to pay attention to our children to collect real experiences and social experience. It is shocking that more than 30%of those aged 3-11 show problematic internet use patterns. It is no coincidence that more and more professionals around the world are urging: children need technology -free zones where they can be themselves again. But the big question is: do we limit them or not?

“It is not worth thinking about smartphones and the digital world-their effect on children is not clearly positive or negative, so there is no need to take a stand on either side ” – says Psychologist Réka Rozsos, an expert partner at the Funside Children’s Camp. “These tools may undoubtedly help learning, information and contact, while inadequate use can increase anxiety, worsen self -esteem, hinder emotional development, and lead to addiction patterns. As the exclusion of the digital world is not realistic, it has a key role for parents, educators and the environment to support safe use, convey healthy patterns, and provide meaningful offline experiences ” The expert adds.

As the summer break approaches, parents are looking for opportunities to provide their seedlings with a meaningful and experienced school break. It is no longer self -evident that summer is not about time spent on the screen, so it is important that children have to offer real motivation to actively, community, outdoors, meaningful and developing programs. Summer camps that use an adventure and educational approach are very good for this.

Not the prohibition is the solution

“It is not the goal to offer a summer camp with a complete device -free device, but to make their use always eduled and creative and to provide real experiences in the rest of the time« Says András Kittka, managing director of Funside, who camps over 2000 children in the summer.

According to the camp leader, a really good summer kid’s program is not prohibited, but strives to develop internal motivation and positive reinforcement. “Children can bring their own tools with us – as this is an important tool for contacting parents – but camp programs are so fun, community and varied that children do not even think of pressing their phone. We give them the opportunity to use devices: for example, in design & graphics classes, for example, children can learn the basics of digital design on iPads, professional applications, while during VR programming classes they get to know the programming world in fun, playful form ” Andras adds.

Improve your mobile if you use it well

According to the expert, the point is that the use of digital tools serves to develop creativity, develop problem -solving thinking and acquire future skills – as opposed to passive, entertainment or boredom screen use.

So digital detox is not an easy ban or resignation – but rather an adventure where children can experience the beauties of the offline world again. Not only does such an experience give short-term pleasure, but also helps them in the long run to use technology more consciously and balanced. Future generations do not need to reject the tools, but a wise treatment of the tools, and the first step can be an experience -free, technology -free summer.