From Screens to Stars: How Camping Unleashes Teenagers' Inner Potential
Introduction
As our lives become more permeated with technology, it becomes increasingly difficult to notice the consequences of this phenomenon. One of these consequences is teen addiction to technology and its direct correlation with their severance from nature. While this might seem obvious to some, the reality is that 73% of teens aged 13-17 are addicted to the internet and spend an average of nearly 8 hours per day on their phones. There are undoubtedly a plethora of aspects that influence teen dependence on technology, but camping, specifically, has been shown to be a strong candidate for an antidote to the crisis. Camping has scientifically proven benefits on teenager’s mental health, development of life skills, and ability to build relationships through the process of disconnecting them from their dependence on technology.Introducing more teens to camping will have a strong, positive impact on society and play a major part in finding a harmonious and healthy balance in our digital lives.
The Impact of Technological Dependence on Teens
Despite the strong benefits that technology can provide to a wide variety of demographics, excessive technology use can have an exceptionally negative impact on teens by harming their self-esteem, hindering their relationships and emotional development, and reduce empathy and increase apathy. Dr. Jean M. Twenge, author of several books and professor of psychology at San Diego State University, stated “the number of teens who get together with their friends nearly every day dropped by over 40%. More teens are spending their free time alone in their room and on their phones, computers or games.” This lack of socialization is directly related to the dramatic lack of empathy throughout the population which has resulted in one statistic from studies which reports that over one third of kids feel that they have been cyberbullied at least once in their life. Situations like these that stem from the epidemic of internet and technological addiction result in a deluge of emotional and physical symptoms including, but not limited to: anxiety, depression, a feeling of guilt, isolation, dishonesty, agitation, mood swings, defensiveness, headaches, insomnia, carpal tunnel syndrome, backache, neck pain, poor nutrition, and dry eyes. Technology is not going anywhere in the foreseeable future and it is developing at an unimaginable rate. Additionally, technology has undeniable positive impacts on our lives. With that being said, the proposition is not “How do we rid ourselves of technology or prevent its advancement?,” but rather “How do we foster a healthy relationship between our youth and technology?”
Benefits of Camping for Teenagers
Camping itself is a hobby that acts as a gateway to a whole new world of outdoor activities and hobbies. The list is long and there is a n activity for everyone’s likes and interests. The point is that camping and the activities associated with it are all more or less some sort of physical activity. Being in outdoor spaces inherently motivates people to be more active due to the simple fact that there are more opportunities to be active in the outdoors along with the fact that being in the outdoors essentially demands some sort of physical activity. According to studies and research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these benefits tend to “increase life expectancy, improve sleep quality, and reduce cancer risk… Studies also show that being outside in nature is relaxing, reducing our stress, cortisol levels, muscle tension and heart rates – all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.” Additionally, there have been studies which demonstrate an increase in peoples’ ability to focus and pay attention as they spend more time outdoors in green, natural spaces to be specific. Along with lowering the risk of depression and increasing the rate at which people recover from psychological stress, time spent outdoors has several undeniable physical and mental benefits that should not so easily be pushed to the side and sacrificed in place of the convenience that technology has to offer.
As teenagers take that leap out of their comfort zone and go into the wilderness, they are forced to engage in face-to-face communication and interactions with their peers. While not all teenagers struggle with this, all of them can benefit in one way or another from time spent outdoors. These experiences give teenagers, and anyone else involved, invaluable teamwork experience and allows them to form strong and lasting relationships with their peers. Organizations such as McKinsey & Company have realized the potential that time spent outdoors for building happy, efficient, and resilient teams. They offer a service to working professionals which involves taking companies’ teams out of the office and into the wild in order to build bonds that increase performance and creativity in the workplace. With this knowledge, why not begin introducing people to the environment at a younger age - well before they have begun their careers? Through camping, children and teenagers are introduced to new and various people from all walks of life and not a part of their school community. It is easy for adolescents to live in a small bubble when the only peers that they regularly interact with are at school or sports. There are countless instances where children and teenagers will need to solve problems and resolve conflicts while camping. Nature is often unforgiving and one careless mistake can cause a wide range of challenges. What better place to learn about how to deal with failure and challenges in a place where you're guaranteed to fail and be challenged.
According to several studies, when in nature and disconnected from our devices, our brains transition from what is called a beta state to an alpha state in which the brain operates at a lower frequency. Essentially, our brains downshift and we become more relaxed, focused, and creative - things everyone could use at some point or another during their adolescence. As teenagers face challenges and overcome them, they begin to sew seeds that will eventually bloom and flourish into the fortitude that they will need to tackle the true, gut-wrenching challenges that we all have to deal with at some point or another in life. They may not realize it at the time, but those camping trips on the weekends with dad as a kid definitely equipped them with the resilience and confidence needed to live a successful and happy life.
Fostering Disconnect and Digital Detox
Even without the burden of technological addiction, teenage life is already stressful enough. Trying to navigate through the dark forest of dating, friends, school, applying for colleges, competing in sports, working, and dysfunctional or unhealthy home lives is not easy for anyone. Spending a large fraction of their lives on their phones only enables teenagers to avoid the moment even more. While the initial disconnect might be annoying and uncomfortable, maybe even painful, at the beginning, around 98% of kids report that they have enjoyed their experiences camping and being away from their phones when everything was said and done according to several surveys.
It is important to make sure that teenagers do not perceive the technology-free camping trip as a punishment, but as an opportunity. Though they still will probably not be a huge fan at the beginning regardless, this sets a strong foundation for allowing them to find the experience enjoyable over the course of the experience.
Promoting Self-Reflection and Personal Growth
During our teenage years, it is not always obvious what our passions, values, and strengths are. We often learn these things about ourselves through trial & error, life experiences, challenges, relationships, etc. Being outdoors and camping is a great way to provide students with the freedom to explore these aspects of their characters and identities. Discovering these things about themselves is a form of self-reflection and opens the door for personal growth that will benefit these individuals for the rest of their lives.
Additionally, teens will experience some level of solitude and will in turn be forced to engage in a certain level of introspection that might be uncomfortable at first because they are so used to avoiding that natural facet of life. Given enough time to acclimate, adolescents will begin to realize the benefits and joys of time spent alone and introspection. Solitude is often stigmatized these days as social media perpetuates unrealistic lifestyles and fake people whose company seems to be desirable at surface level.
Camping experiences can give teenagers a perspective on life that they probably would not get in school or sports, build resilience into their character and develop a sense of purpose separate from an online presence.
Encouraging Environmental Stewardship
The final virtue that camping and time spent outdoors bestows upon youth is the concept of personal responsibility for the general well-being of the environment as whole. Children are often deprived of the opportunities to learn and realize the fact that the environment is a shared space by everyone; therefore, we all have an individual responsibility to take our duty as an environmental steward seriously. However, it is not enough to simply tell teens and other youth that it is their responsibility to care for the environment, but they must be shown through effective practices why it is important. These practices must be planned and organized around what is known to engage and motivate teens and even yonder children. Evoking values and emotions such as gratitude, empathy, and kindness are great ways to encourage youth to take an active part in environmental stewardship. Natural Lands, an organization that facilitates youth involvement in the preservation of the natural environment offers youth opportunities such as “planting trees, trail maintenance and construction, invasive species removal, and various beautification projects. They are paid for their work, and their efforts benefit Natural Lands’ preserve staff who always welcome helping hands. The skills the teens learn - accountability, time management, problem solving, punctuality, [and] perseverance - can change the trajectory of their lives” (Natural Lands) While this organization offers these opportunities separate from camping experiences, the lessons and principles are the same: time spent outdoors and learning about the environment in active and engaging activities fosters the internal sense of environmental stewardship in children, teenagers, and young adults. In addition to general environmental maintenance and care, youth can also learn sustainable camping practices such as “pack it in, pack it out;” using reusable plates, cups, bottles; camping in designated areas; fire safety; and using eco-friendly soaps and materials.
Teaching youth environmental stewardship and sustainable camping practices is not only beneficial to them, but a boon to their communities and society as a whole as they become positive members of society who hold values that will aid in the preservation of our natural environment, of which we are an inseparable part.
Conclusion
Living in an age of instant gratification and entertainment can be difficult to navigate for anyone let alone teenagers and young adults. Teenagers often find themselves in uncharted territory and this time is extremely formative for their character and identity. During these years, individuals discover their passions, values, and interests. Disconnecting from technological devices opens the door for teenagers to walk-through to begin the journey to unearth who they truly are.
As stated before, this is not an argument to permanently rid youth of their access to technological devices and the internet, but to ultimately find a healthy balance between technology and real-world experiences that is appropriate for each individual.
It is never to late for parents, guardians, teachers, and other adult role-models can also embrace the outdoor lifestyle and take on camping as a hobby as a means of fostering personal growth, social interaction and a healthier relationship with technology for all of our youth.
