Exploring Camp Policies and Leadership Opinions on Digital Media Use in Camps

Authors

  • Ashley DeHudy Cherry Creek Pediatrics
  • Jenny Radesky Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics; Michigan Medicine
  • Natalie Schellpfeffer Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine
  • Michael Ambrose St. Joseph Mercy Health System
  • Andrew Hashikawa Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2021.975

Keywords:

youth digital media, camp digital media use, benefits of digital media use, downfalls of digital media use

Abstract

While summer camps provide children a unique experience away from home, this environment may lead to increased and unsupervised use of digital media. Camps’ policies and leaderships’ views on digital media consumption in camps are currently unknown. To elucidate current trends, we partnered with CampDoc.com to survey a national sample of camp leadership about digital media policies and practices. A single response was selected from each camp and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Free text responses reflecting on positive and negative experiences with digital media were assessed using thematic analysis. We received 722 responses from 363 of the 950 camps within the Camp Doc network. Respondents represented camps in 45 states in the United States. Internet and cell service were available in 22.3% and 34.7% of camps, respectively. Approximately 60% of camps reported a digital media policy for campers and staff. Most policies (67.9%) did not allow use of digital media devices. Camp leadership reported that smartphones (51.3%) and social media apps (42.2%) were most difficult to restrict. Qualitative themes focused on the benefits of digital media for creativity and connection, but also the interruption of camp experiences. Camp personnel described positive media uses aligned with American Academy of Pediatrics media guidelines, for teaching creativity, acquiring new skills, and understanding the value of unplugging for creating social connections. Although most camps have policies restricting digital media use, complete restriction may be difficult.

Author Biographies

Ashley DeHudy, Cherry Creek Pediatrics

Ashley A. DeHudy, MD, MPH 

Community Pediatrician 

Cherry Creek Pediatrics


Jenny Radesky, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics; Michigan Medicine

Jenny S. Radesky, MD

Assistant Professor

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics

Michigan Medicine


Natalie Schellpfeffer, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine

Natalie Schellpfeffer, MD 

Assistant Professor 

Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics 

Michigan Medicine


Michael Ambrose, St. Joseph Mercy Health System

Michael Ambrose, MD 

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician 

St. Joseph Mercy Health System


Andrew Hashikawa, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine

Andrew N. Hashikawa, MD, MS

Clinical Associate Professor

Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics

Michigan Medicine


References

Anderson, M., & Jiang, J. (2018). Teens, social media, & technology 2018. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

Chang, M., Sielaff, A., Bradin, S., Walker, K., Ambrose, M., & Hashikawa, A. (2017). Assessing disaster preparedness among select children's summer camps in the United States and Canada. Southern Medical Journal, 110(8), 502-508. https://doi.org/10.14423/SMJ.0000000000000678

Children’s Commissioner. (2018). Who knows what about me? A Children's Commissioner report into the collection and sharing of children's data. (2018). https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cco-who-knows-what-about-me.pdf

Common Sense. (n.d.). Family media toolkit: Age-based guidelines for children’s media and device use. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/aap-toolkitv2

Felt, L. J., & Robb, M. B. (2016). Technology addiction: Concern, controversy, and finding balance. Common Sense Media.

Henderson, K. A., Bialeschki, M. D., & James, P. A. (2007). Overview of camp research. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 16(4), 755-767, v. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2007.05.010

Kebede, M. M., Schuett, C., & Pischke, C. R. (2019). The role of continuous glucose monitoring, diabetes smartphone applications, and self-care behavior in glycemic control: Results of a multi-national online survey. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8010109

Kolberg, K., Saleem, N., Ambrose, M., Cranford, J., Almeida, A., Ichesco, I., Schellpfeffer, N., & Hashikawa, A. (2020). Pediatric head injuries in summer camps. Clinical Pediatrics, 59(4-5), 369-374. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922819901009

Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Demiralp, E., Park, J., Lee, D. S., Lin, N., Shalblack, H., Jonides, J., & Ybarra, O. (2013).Facebook use predicts declines in subjective well-being in young adults. PLoS One, 8(8), e69841. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0069841

MEDIA, C. O. C. A. (2016a). Media and young minds. Pediatrics, 138(5). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2591

MEDIA, C. O. C. A. (2016b). Media use in school-aged children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 138(5). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2592

Nesi, J., & Prinstein, M. J. (2015). Using social media for social comparison and feedback-seeking: gender and popularity moderate associations with depressive symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 43(8), 1427-1438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-0020-0

Pantic, I., Damjanovic, A., Todorovic, J., Topalovic, D., Bojovic-Jovic, D., Ristic, S., & Pantic, S. (2012). Association between online social networking and depression in high school students: Behavioral physiology viewpoint. Psychiatria Danubina, 24(1), 90-93.

Schellpfeffer, N. R., Leo, H. L., Ambrose, M., & Hashikawa, A. N. (2017). Food allergy trends and epinephrine autoinjector presence in summer camps. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 5(2), 358-362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2016.10.018

Schellpfeffer, N. R., Leo, H. L., Ambrose, M., & Hashikawa, A. N. (2020). Camp leadership perspectives on food allergy-related anaphylaxis events and training for camp staff: A national survey of summer camps. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 8(4), 1247-1252.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2019.11.014

Statista. (n.d.). Number of participants in camping in the United States from 2006 to 2019. https://www.statista.com/statistics/191224/participants-in-camping-in-the-us-since-2006/

Uhls, Y. T., Michikyan, M., Morris, J., Garcia, D., Small, G. W., Zgourou, E., & Greenfield, P. M. (2014). Five days at outdoor education camp without screens improves preteen skills with nonverbal cues. Computers in Human Behavior, 39, 387-392.

Walton, E. A., Tothy, A. S., & Health, C. o. S. (2011). Creating healthy camp experiences. Pediatrics, 127(4), 794-799. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-0267

Warber, S. L., DeHudy, A. A., Bialko, M. F., Marselle, M. R., & Irvine, K. N. (2015). Addressing "nature-deficit disorder": A mixed methods pilot study of young adults attending a wilderness camp. Evidence-Based Complementary Alternative Medicine, 2015, Article ID 651827. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/651827

Downloads

Published

2021-09-29

Issue

Section

Research & Evaluation Studies