Life Without Social Media

One of the greatest gifts of camp is disconnecting from technology and finding true connection with friends for three weeks. As we head towards the real world in a few days, I find myself dreading the noise that we have managed to escape from for the past 8 weeks…facebook, instagram, news, social media and “keeping up with the Jones’.” At camp, all that we value is the present…the people…the adventure before us. This in itself is a huge gift that we often take for granted, until it’s gone.

I am so grateful that your children have been given this time to escape. Camp is the one place that allows kids the excuse to not be on social media, snapchat or instagram, updating the world on the daily happenings of life. At camp, our worth is not defined by the number of likes we have on instagram. Our campers and staff are liked for their hearts, their souls and their impact their cabin unit or on our camp community. Being liked is not based on appearances or filters, at camp we see the true camper and we love them for who they are inside and out.

I don’t know if our campers or our staff realize the gift that they have been given at camp - an excuse to take a break from the pressure of social media and the need to be liked by others. They don’t realize that their phones and their snapchat are robbing them from the joy of creating and feeling real connection that they value so much at camp.

Often instead of dealing with their emotions and facing their struggles head on, kids today are scrolling through their feeds to numb the pain of loneliness that they feel or teaching them that they will never be enough. At Camp Highlander, we are teaching our campers to talk about their feelings, confront their struggles and realize that who they are right now is enough to be loved and respected.

From my perspective as a camp director, our children have never needed camp more than they do today. I am so grateful that you gave your child the gift of camp this summer. I hope that they have learned that their self-worth is not determined by their likes on instagram, but by their heart, their selflessness and their love for others. These are the values we teach each day in our cabin unit, and it is our hope that our campers realize the gift that you have given them in Camp Highlander.

Favorite Details of the Day

• Reflect at the Rock: Avery talked today about the common trait of being human…making mistakes. Life is not about the mistakes we make, but how we learn from them. Each day we should focus on learning, growing and seekng to be the best version of ourselves.
• Meals: Breakfast was biscuits, eggs, sausage and fruit bar. Lunch was turkey sandwiches on ciabatta bread with kettle chips and salad bar. Dinner was greek chicken, roasted broccoli, pita bread and hummus.
• EP: Rainbow Tag
• Weather: We had another beautiful day of sunshine. I cannot believe how blessed we have been with the most amazing weather! The high today was 84 and the low was 64. Perfect!

While we have spent the last two weeks without social media or technology, we have not missed out on adventure, connection or fun. We have shared more laughs, more inside jokes and made more memories than any feed could capture. The past three weeks in our cabins, if captured on snapchat, would leave everyone feeling jealous, but that is not our desire. While today’s pictures are enough to make the rest of the world feel left out, we realize that these moments are what camp is all about…they cannot be topped, they cannot be summed up in a post…these moments have to be experienced and will be replayed in our hearts for many years to come,the old fashioned way. These are the memories that last a lifetime.