Parents are spending up to $19,000 on summer camps that ban their kids' phones

Getty Images; Alyssa powell/BI Emma Bobson spends four to six hours a day on her phone.

At 13 years old, the middle schooler from Long Island, New York scrolls through TikTok searching shopping hauls, FaceTimes her friends to discuss daily drama, and texts friends (often the same ones) on iMessage.

So, for the first few days of summer camp in Pennsylvania — where WiFi is scarce, and tech is barred — she found herself reaching into her pocket for her phone all the time.

It took "a few days or a week" for her to quit the reflex.

Emma is not alone.

Gen Alpha is the first generation to have grown up in the smartphone era.

These kids entered early education during the pandemic.

They grew up with hybrid school, tech-filled classrooms, tablets on restaurant tables, and parents who sought out screens as their ally .

For some Gen Alpha kids , sleepaway camp is one of the few places where they spend weeks without their phones — and camp directors, parents, and kids say you can see the effect immediately.

Emma Bobson, 13, enjoyed her tech-free summer at camp Courtesy of Jackie Bobson The thousand-dollar digital detox Phone bans aren't unusual at summer camps.

90% of these programs prohibit any use of technology, according to a survey done by the American Camp Association .

Some of these camps have been in the childcare business for over 85 years and have remained strictly tech-free.

This past summer, a camper was suspended for smuggling their phone in and had to leave the premises for three days.

Sticking to tradition, the kids write and mail letters to their families, though some camps have started scanning the letters and emailing them to parents instead.