Family Support for Technology Overuse

Family involvement is key to the Summerland Camp process.

Parental involvement and support are critical for any program to produce successful outcomes, and our goal is to be the best summer camp anywhere for screen overuse habits.  We provide parental education and have aftercare services available that are offered year-round.  We know from scientific research that the more families are involved, the better the outcomes.  We help parents at each step along the way by providing the education, support, and guidance to best support the camper’s behavioral changes.

When comparing programs, it’s critical to know if aftercare is available for up to one year after discharge

Family Workshops

Parents participate in four, 60 to 90-minute online workshops during the summer. Each workshop covers a different topic.

During the online family workshop, parents learn how to create contracts to monitor and limit technology use.  After benefiting from the parent workshop, parents have a research-supported understanding of what consequences technology overuse can have on teens. Additionally, they are armed with new strategies to help support their camper back home.

Topics presented include:

Workshop 1: Introduction and mission

Workshop 2: The technology epidemic

Workshop 3: Video games and social media: the good, the bad, the ugly

Workshop 4: The transition home

Parents can capitalize on the technology pause during the camp to reset screen-related rules when the camper returns home. This is a good time to “clean house” and prepare to support your camper’s newfound commitments when they return home.

Frequent Updates

Parents are informed about their child’s progress through email or phone call updates that occur weekly. Dr. Bishop, our founder, emails or calls parents on a regular basis to let them know what progress their child is making and the topics covered in the group.

Parent Guide

Parents also receive a copy of the Summerland Guide with a special parent section. This resource educates parents on topics related to technology overuse, parenting strategies, and example behavioral contracts. Information on how the BPJ works and how to best support your camper is also provided.

Best Summer Camp for Video Game Overuse

Our effort to be the best summer camp for device or video game overuse is rooted in our strong belief that parents should be involved each step of the way. Though our focus is on the transition home during group, our four parent workshops, and with our aftercare program, Summerland campers are best prepared for the transition back home.