Parents are spending up to $19,000 on summer camps that ban their kids' phones
Parents are increasingly paying high premiums for summer camps that enforce strict no-phone policies to provide children with a digital detox. The trend reflects growing concerns about the impact of constant smartphone use on Gen Alpha's development.
Why it matters
The rise of expensive tech-free camps highlights a societal reaction to the ubiquity of screens and the perceived need to reclaim traditional childhood experiences.
Getty Images; Alyssa powell/BI Emma Bobson spends four to six hours a day on her phone. At 13 years old, the middle schooler from Long Island, New York scrolls through TikTok searching shopping hauls, FaceTimes her friends to discuss daily drama, and texts friends (often the same ones) on iMessage. So, for the first few days of summer camp in Pennsylvania — where WiFi is scarce, and tech is barred — she found herself reaching into her pocket for her phone all the time. It took "a few days or a week" for her to quit the reflex. Emma is not alone. Gen Alpha is the first generation to have grown up in the smartphone era. These kids entered early education during the pandemic. They grew up with hybrid school, tech-filled classrooms, tablets on restaurant tables, and parents who sought out screens as their ally .
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