The Break Kids Need: Why Summer Camp Is the Ultimate Screen Detox

In about a month, thousands of children will arrive at camp with duffel bags, sleeping bags, sunscreen… and, for many, a little anxiety about leaving their phones behind.

For some, that may feel impossible.

No social media. No gaming consoles. No endless YouTube videos or Netflix binges. No scrolling before bed. No notifications.

That’s exactly why camp is so powerful.

Maine camps have always offered something increasingly rare in today’s world: the chance for kids to be fully present.

Present in conversations. Present in friendships. Present in nature. Present in themselves.

When kids unplug from screens, they reconnect with the world around them and with who they are.

Instead of texting a friend, they’re laughing beside them in the cabin. Instead of watching someone else’s adventure online, they’re paddling across a lake, climbing a mountain, or performing on stage. Instead of comparing themselves to filtered images, they’re building confidence through real accomplishments.

They’re living in the moment. And that changes everything.

That ability to unplug and be fully present is one of the most powerful parts of the camp experience, and it’s something experts see too.

To better understand the impact of a summer without screens, Maine Camp Experience connected directly with Tom Kersting, a nationally recognized psychotherapist, parenting expert, and author of Disconnected: How to Protect Your Kids from the Harmful Effects of Device Dependency and Raising Healthy Teenagers, who has spent years helping families navigate the challenges of raising children in the digital age.

Tom shared something he sees again and again:

“Over the years I have seen many kids at my office who head off to sleep away camp for the summer. Their biggest concern before leaving is not being allowed to bring their phone. It’s a bit of a panic. When they return from camp and come back to meet with me, we always talk about their summer. I always ask them what the best part was about camp. And guess what the number one response is?

‘NOT HAVING MY PHONE AT CAMP!!’

Can you believe that?”

Here’s why, he explains:

“While at camp, without their phone they experienced something that all humans crave and need: social interaction. Making memories in the bunk and around the campfire. Friendship. None of which would have occurred if the phone was with them.”

That’s the beauty of camp.

Kids don’t just take a break from screens. They take a break from the pressure that comes with them.

The pressure to respond. To compare. To perform. To constantly consume.

Instead, they discover the joy of slowing down and showing up.

They learn how good it feels to be bored, and then creative. To be challenged, and then resilient. To be homesick, and then brave. To be unplugged, and unexpectedly free.

And maybe the best part? They come home different.

More independent. More confident. More connected.

Summer camp has always been fun. But in today’s hyper-connected world, it may also be one of the healthiest gifts we can give our children: the opportunity to disconnect from devices and reconnect with life.

Camp starts in about a month.

For many kids, it will feel like a break from home.

What they may not realize yet is that it’s also the break they truly need.

The perfect place to put the screens away and simply be a kid again.

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child? Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks). It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates. Then you can research these camps in more depth. Next, be sure to contact our Maine Camp Guide, Laurie to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.