Disconnect to reconnect


Would you give your child a cigarette every day?

Really. Why not? Doesn’t it make sense?

Well, in a way, you already are. By the way, you are having one too.

Ok, hold on, you are probably thinking ‘Stu has lost it. I don’t smoke, nor do my kids!!’

I hope that you don’t smoke, but I’m not talking about cigarettes. 

What am I actually talking about then? There is a world of non-functional, depressed and anti-social youth being created at an ever increasing rate. Research now clearly shows that the use of cell phones and social media is hurting our kids. It is hurting you. Technology is now considered as addictive as smoking. 

There are some incredible articles and research screaming at us to see the warning signs; we need to keep this technology out of all of our hands. I am guilty of using my iPhone far too much, but I am actively trying to change this. 

I work with youth on so many levels and I see this addiction all the time. I am finding myself frustrated watching this constant need to be on a phone by so many people. Last weekend I was away at Blue Mountain on a mini-vacation. I sat beside a table of 6 young people in their early twenties. For the entire hour I was there they didn’t speak a word to each other. They barely made eye contact. All of them were on their devices, scrolling, clicking, and “liking” life somewhere else. 

Our youth are more depressed than ever before. We are struggling to find a “solution” for the rise in mental health issues. Here is a scary bit of information:
Teens who spend three hours a day or more on electronic devices are 35 percent more likely to have a risk factor for suicide, such as making a suicide plan. (That’s much more than the risk related to, say, watching TV.) One piece of data that indirectly but stunningly captures kids’ growing isolation, for good and for bad: Since 2007, the homicide rate among teens has declined, but the suicide rate has increased. As teens have started spending less time together, they have become less likely to kill one another, and more likely to kill themselves. In 2011, for the first time in 24 years, the teen suicide rate was higher than the teen homicide rate.
Concerned?  Find 20 minutes and read the entire article.

It’s not just young people. A week ago I was working out at my local YMCA and noticed 7 ladies sitting in a circle on couches. None of them were talking to each other, all were on their phones. When I asked what they were doing, they said they were waiting for their young children to be be done dance class. I watched them for about 15 minutes, hardly a word spoken. Sad. 

We need to make sure the young people in our lives understand the damage these devices are potentially doing. We also need to be the example around them. Get off your phone (and your laptop), away from Google, Siri, Netflix, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Reconnect with life by disconnecting from time to time. I too love my phone, but we need to find a healthy balance. 

I once heard a speaker at a camp conference say that summer camp was the last hope for kids to be kids. To play, laugh, fall, get dirty and learn by failure. Probably why I still love running YLCC after 26 years and always will have my heart there.

If you are interested in programs for your kids or even any adult, please just drop me a note. Here’s my direct email: stu@ylcc.com

Here are some additional facts I gathered on the topic of device use:
  • 61% admit to being addicted to the internet and their devices.
  • The average American dedicates 30% of leisure time on the internet.
  • 50% of people prefer to communicate digitally than in person.
  • 67% of cellphone owners find themselves checking their device even when it’s not ringing or vibrating
  • One out of ten Americans report depression; heavy internet users are 2.5 times more likely to be depressed
  • The average employee spends 2 hours a day recovering from distractions.
  • 1/3 of people would rather clean their toilets than their inbox.
  • The average employee checks 40 websites a day, switching activities 37 times an hour, changing tasks every two minutes. However, only 2% of people can actually multi-task without decline in performance.
  • 60% of people say traditional vacation does not relieve their stress.
  • 33% of people admit to hiding from family and friends to check social media.
  • High social media use can trigger an increase in loneliness, jealousy and fear.
  • 95% of people use some type of electronics in the hour leading up to bed.
  • Artificial light from screens increase alertness and suppress the hormone melatonin by up to 22% – negatively affecting sleep, performance and mood.
  • Unplugging for just one day can give some users mental and physical withdrawal symptoms.

Join me in reconnecting with what truly matters.
In Leadership and gratitude, 
Youth Leadership Camps Canada (YLCC) inspires and empowers today’s youth to leave a positive impact on our world. With our innovative leadership programs and dynamic staff, we instil in students a greater understanding of the short and long term impacts of their words, choices and actions.