February Update: Connect at Camp!

Human beings are wired for connection. Since the beginning of time, we’ve thrived in groups; learning, working, and growing alongside each other. For humans, community isn’t just important - it’s essential. Yet, in our modern world, increasingly optimized for convenience and efficiency, something is pulling kids away from the fundamental human experience of community building.

In his article, The Anti-Social Century, The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson highlights a troubling trend that many of you may have already observed, or even experienced firsthand - Americans, especially children, are spending more time alone than ever before. Kids today find themselves trapped in a cycle of daily life that pulls them from one extreme to the other. The staggering volume of screen time that American children and teenagers experience today overstimulates them (with over 30% of their waking moments spent on a screen of some sort, per Thompson), and with that overstimulation comes an increasing lack of social skills and opportunities for unstructured, face-to-face downtime with other kids, robbing them of any opportunity to unplug and unwind - outside of a screen. Thompson articulates this contrast simply, yet alarmingly: “…[O]ur social time is haunted by the possibility that something more interesting is happening somewhere else, and our downtime is contaminated by the streams and posts and texts of dozens of friends, colleagues, frenemies, strangers.”

Interestingly enough, we believe the solution to this increasingly worrying trend towards isolation is quite simple: send children into the wilderness!

With each other, that is.

The aforementioned deficit in face-to-face social interaction that kids and teenagers deal with today often leaves them struggling in various social scenarios, and has social anxiety on the rise. But here’s the thing: bandwidth for social awkwardness gets thrown out the window when you’re cramming into a backpacking tent to escape an afternoon rainstorm, waking up early in the morning to make sure your horses get enough to eat, or plodding through a particularly challenging mountain climb. Time spent in the backcountry at camp creates a space where kids have no choice but to rely on and connect with each other. Without Google Classroom notifications, social media, or YouTube video essay rabbit holes pulling their attention away, campers form real relationships rooted in real experiences. Whether it’s sharing a laugh over a failed attempt at bear-bagging food or helping a friend navigate a particularly tricky river crossing on the trail, camp connections are forged through trust, teamwork, and the simple reality that everyone is in this together.

Thompson also shares musings on the presence of artificial intelligence in our daily lives. Not only does AI serve as a frighteningly convenient alternative to social interaction with humans, but it increasingly serves as a decision making tool in nearly every aspect of our lives, both personal and professional. Sure, it might seem convenient as it helps us do things like draft an uncomfortable email, write a grocery list, or generate an image of Snoopy and Woodstock racing bikes in the Tour de France while wielding lightsabers, but it also raises an important question: what happens when our children grow up relying on technology to think for them?

The backcountry is pretty much the exact opposite of the algorithm-driven world. There is not currently an AI that can suggest which trail to take, or what to do when the weather suddenly changes (and if such a model emerges, it won’t have much luck finding a home at camp). At camp, kids watch their counselors model thinking critically, problem-solving in real time, and making decisions based on their surroundings - and they may even get a chance to participate as well. They develop creativity and resilience not by AI-generated prompts but by solving real-world problems: What’s the best way to cross this river? How do we cook dinner if our stove won’t start? What happens if we lose our way up the mountain? AI might make life easier, but it squashes creativity and decision making. Camp teaches kids something invaluable: how to trust their own judgement, work through uncertainties, and think independently.

At camp, time spent in the backcountry isn’t just about fun (but don’t worry - there’s plenty of that too). It’s about equipping kids with the confidence, resilience, and social skills they’ll need to thrive in a world that increasingly drives them towards insecurity, dependence on technology, and isolation. If Thompson’s article tells us anything, it’s that kids are in desperate need of opportunities to unplug, connect with each other, challenge themselves and struggle as a team, and build real, lasting relationships in the process.

So, as we search for ways to rebuild our children’s self-confidence, decision-making, and community-building skills, perhaps it’s best to send them into the woods. Let them struggle. Let them triumph. Let them grow. They’ll come back stronger, happier, and more connected than ever.