Redaccion
Fifty teenagers aged between 12 and 16 are participating in a 10-day camp where the use of technological devices such as mobile phones is prohibited, engaging in sports, arts, and adventure activities.
This is the Airplane Mode Camp, which in its first edition has welcomed 51 minors to engage in healthy activities from July 6 to 15 in Alcalá de Henares. Additionally, 14 of them have just completed a psychological treatment, as reported by the regional government.
The camp includes activities such as a workshop on aromatic plants, dance, water games, adventure, and a trip to the amusement park, all coordinated by leisure and free time monitors. These activities are alternated with workshops led by professionals from the Regional Public Service for Technology Addiction (SAAT), focusing on digital identity, social media, video games, digital coexistence, privacy on the internet, and mobile devices.
The first center to treat technology addicts
The Minister of Family, Youth, and Social Affairs, Ana Dávila, and the Minister of Environment, Agriculture, and Interior, Carlos Novillo, visited the participants of an initiative promoted by the General Youth Directorate on Thursday.
«We want young people to be free, for their lives not to depend on social media or video games, and to be aware that misuse of devices isolates them from their family and friends, undoubtedly affecting them academically,» stated Dávila.
Novillo emphasized the importance of the natural environment and work in the field for their recovery, in a privileged space where they will learn to «identify native plants such as licorice, hawthorn, or wild asparagus; learn more about zero-kilometer products and how to cook them, the recovery of lost crops, or pest management.»
Can you imagine a day without a phone?
This year, the General Youth Directorate has organized 37 summer camps for young people aged 12 to 17, five more than in 2024, both in the Community of Madrid and other regions, offering activities in areas such as nautical sports, circus arts, multi-adventure, and volunteering. In total, there are 1,135 spots available for young people from Madrid, 200 more than last year.
