The digital divide

Technology: You gotta love it. It allows Scouters to stay
connected and helps the BSA reach new audiences in interesting ways. Most
importantly, without technology this blog wouldn’t exist.

But when it comes to enjoying the outdoors, many packs,
troops, and crews choose to limit or ban most high-tech items.

This practice was documented in “Cut-Off Campers,” a recent
article in the Press of
Atlantic City
. The story starts like this:

“The woods around the Roosevelt Scout Reservation were
silent. No humming computers. No music. Not even the telltale clicking of a
cell phone texter. Just the chirping of crickets, the crackling of the campfire
and the occasional rustle of some nocturnal creature.”

The article goes on to discuss various practices Scouters
use when it comes to technology. It’s an interesting subject and one that Scouting magazine readers already have
weighed in on. In our November-December 2008 issue, we printed responses from
readers
about controlling cell phone use. 

The healthy debate was
mainly between those who forbid any technological items in the outdoors and
those who want their Scouts to maintain some connection with family back home.

Chime In: What’s
your troop’s policy on the technology issue, and how did you come to that
decision? Let us know in the comment box below.


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.