Teens panic as they're forced to unplug at camp

No texting, no Facebook, no iPod; teens cope with being unplugged at sleepaway camp. Cellular News reports.

For a generation used to texting, Facebook and YouTube, going away to sleepaway camp can be a bit unnerving. Many outdoor camps don't allow cell phones, laptops or iPods, and there is no computer lab for them to update their pages.

... Experts agree that unplugging is a great idea. But it will be a "shock to the system" for those who are digitally dependent, says Anastasia Goodstein, author of "Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online."

... While teens will inevitably make friends at camp, 10 friends in your bunk is not the same as hundreds on Facebook, says Gary Rudman of GTR Consulting, author of the upcoming "2009 gTrend Report", which focuses on teens and technology.

Related:

-- No cell phones at summer camps (2003)

-- Away but connected: Sleepaway camps differ on e-mails and cell phones (2005)

emily | 2:09 PM | SMS and Students |
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