StephenFine
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Apr 17, 2007, 1:41 PM
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Are There “Bears” at Your Camp?
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Camp directors sometimes feel that their camper parents have become fierce mama or papa bears. Bears determined to protect their children against a world fraught with new and unfamiliar dangers. This now applies to many activities in the outdoors; a place that was once considered as the very best venue for children’s play. However, the concerns also extend to the virtual world as well.
Parents believe that new risks lurk on the internet and to some extent they are correct. A predator can approach a child on-line and a bully can undermine self-esteem or damage a reputation on internet forums. But what does this have to do with summer camp? Isn’t camp a place to leave the laptop at home and take a break from technology? Yet, some parents now believe that the safety of camp has been somewhat compromised by the internet.
Here are a couple of examples:
Several seasons ago a staff member at a residential camp created a website for campers and staff to communicate in the off season. It was posted as the camp’s “Unofficial Website”. One interactive feature was a page where campers could rate their counsellors. Campers were invited to vote for their favourites and a list was posted to remind campers of all the possible choices.
The camp’s administration was totally unaware of the website’s existence. They became aware when they received a call from an angry parent of one of the young counsellors-in-training. Her daughter had been left off the list and she was very hurt by this slight. How could this have been allowed to happen? The director explained that he knew nothing about the website but would look into it.
He tried to assure the parent that their child was a very popular member of the camp community and felt certain that the omission was an oversight on the part of the web author.
The social dynamic within the camp cabin is an important consideration for camp directors and they spend considerable time and effort working toward a successful grouping. However, children can often be thoughtless and insensitive to the feelings of others in their peer group. This is a common situation and one that every parent, teacher, and camp director endeavours to circumvent through intervention and good counsel.
However, this is not possible beyond the boundaries of the camp, or school for that matter. Consider these events which occurred after the camp season was long over.
A group of girls who had shared a cabin maintained their connection via the internet. Invariably their conversations turned to an unpopular member of the cabin group. They began posting unflattering remarks which eventually found their way to the camper in question.
When the parents became aware of the situation they contacted the camp and demanded to know what the camp was going to do about the situation.
Camp directors know when their responsibility for their staff and campers begins but where it ends is starting to become a bit fuzzy. For some it’s beginning to make them feel a little “bear like” too.
Mama and Papa Bear have discovered techno tools as well. Camp staff can be scrutinized by parents using the new tools of FaceBook or Myspace. These websites are much more than simple net-based year books. They are sophisticated social networking tools that can allow parents to research their children’s friends and camp counsellors.
Individual personal preferences, party antics, and lots of less than flattering photos compound exponentially with the addition of friends of friends of friends. However, when one probes into the private out-of-camp activities of a young person doesn’t this then become “creeping”; an unwelcome invasion of privacy? This is akin to yesterday’s parents listening in on phone calls or reading personal diaries.
Perhaps the parents of today’s cyber-generation underestimate their children’s resilience and ability to deal with everyday adversities. Camp directors often describe today’s parents as micro-managers or sometimes “helicopter parents” because they are hovering over their children and monitoring their every move. It is unrealistic to think that all days at camp will be perfect ones, that a child will never feel sad or left out, and that they may experience some feelings of homesickness.
Camp provides a unique opportunity to develop both independence and interdependence. Independence from the management of parents and interdependence developed through day to day responsibilities with peers and mentors. This is one of the main reasons why camp is a great place for kids to spend some time away from home. It gives both kids and parents a break and it is a safe and caring learning environment.
The internet has become an everyday reality for us all but camps can still offer youth a respite from technology. It is important that families be aware of this and that camps accredited by recognized associations are safe, fun and educative places for their children’s summer holidays.
Dr. Stephen Fine is co-owner and co-director of The Hollows Camp, Chair of Education and Research for the Ontario Camping Association, and coordinator for The International Camp Research Project.
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(This post was edited by StephenFine on Apr 17, 2007, 1:51 PM)
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