Camden Youth Go Without Technology For The Night
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) - Do you ever feel your child is too consumed by their cell phones and social media?
The nonprofit Camden Sophisticated Sisters are demonstrating to children and teenagers you don't need technology to connect with others.
From ages three to 18, hundreds came out starting Friday night for the Sleepless Sleepover, and they left their phones at the door.
"They moaned about it a little bit," says CSS founder Tawanda Jones, "but when they saw all the activities they're like 'this might not be too bad'."
Activities ranging from dancing to dodgeball and much more, but Jones says this event is about more than fun and games:
"They'll be doing different workshops...etiquette, gang awareness, we're talking about sex trafficking to some of the young ladies."
Other workshops include relationships, self-love and social media cleanup.
"I'm so tired of being at the table with other people's children and they're texting and their not listening," adds Jones, "and I'm like we really need to come up with something where no cell phones are allowed. You still can have fun, be a kid."
A lesson 14-year-old Joselin Garcia learned quickly:
"It's hard because I want to be on Snapchat and stuff, but I think it's good we don't have our phones because there could be a lot of drama and it's good for the kids to get to know each other more."
This event wasn't easy for 13-year-old Daisanay Green at first:
"I'm dying inside, I really want to go on Snapchat and show all my viewers how much fun we're having."
But she, too, realized she'll make it to the morning just fine without her phone:
"I think it's a better way of learning how to communicate with you peers, like not always communicating during social media, you can actually sit down, talk to one another, get to know each other."
And as the name suggests, the Sleepless Sleepover involves staying awake and socializing all night long.
