Boys and Girls Clubs invite everyone to unplug

On June 1, Boys and Girls Clubs are inviting Canadians from coast to coast to coast to join them and Unplug to Connect. For one hour (or more), they are unplugging from electronic devices and connecting face-to-face with friends, family, coworkers, and peers.

To celebrate P.E.I. Boys and Girls Clubs are hosting Unplug to Connect events.

The Wellington & Area Boys and Girls Club is hosting an outdoor campfire fun day with lots of games, crafts, and other outdoor activities on Friday. The Boys and Girls Club of Charlottetown will host a family picnic on June 1. The price of a hotdog or hamburger is handing in your phone and playing a classic picnic game. The activities will include potato sack races, three-legged races, a ball hockey tournament, and a parents-versus-kids baseball game.

The internet and smartphones are changing the way people connect with the world around them. Technological devices are designed to connect us with others, “but they are also causing us to feel isolated and alone,” noted the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada Unplug to Connect release. The percentage of teens with smartphones has jumped to 89 per cent, while studies show that their psychological wellbeing decreases dramatically the more time they spend on screens. As a result, anxiety is on the rise, especially among children and teens, as they feel the need to be “plugged in” at all times.