Robot camp.  Computer camp.  Acting camp.  Sailing camp.  You name it.  It's out there.  Your kids are probably away right now at some kind of fancy activity. 

Some social psychologists are now saying that summer camp experiences, as they have always been, are great experiences for children and teens of all ages - but theres one catch!  As long as it means the wilderness is without bandwidth, cell phones, iChat, power screens, Sims.   Yep, the ACA found that 3 out of 4 camps make kids leave their electronic gadgets at home.  Kids who use more acronymns than we've ever used need a little autonmy and independence from both their wirelss whirlygigs and from their parents.  They need to learn how to have confidence solving their own problems and usings healthy peers as support.

But what camp directors are finding is that it is  parents who have more difficulty pulling the plug than the campers do.    They want to be able to reach their kids by Blackberry and watch their children's activities via webcam.    Indeed, MIT psychologist Sherry Turkle says that electronics are a "tethering technology", a new kind of apron string that can, in some cases, cause kids to be too dependent and too connected to their family.

So let's weigh in.  What do you think?  Should camp experiences be sans technology?  Do parents need to let go a little and let their kids have camp experiences without electronics and constant connection to home?