To speak or text.........that is the question!

Our hospital had a very successful summer with our summer camp program.  Camp ClapHans is the first summer camp designed and built for children with special needs in Oklahoma.  This past summer was the second summer for Camp ClapHans and after the summer ended staff involved in the camp met to discuss what worked and what changes are needed as well as ideas for the future.

What was interesting was what the camp director shared as an issue that what addressed during the camp session that I found very interesting.  The director had banned all cell phones during the camp session for both volunteers and paid staff believing this would allow staff to focus on the campers and not social media.  This sounded logical and also protects the privacy of all campers due to cell phone cameras and video.

The camp director went on to say that he noticed a problem with staff during the first camp session.  They didn’t appear to listen to his directions during staff meetings.  Jobs were not getting done and assignments were not being completed.   He took the problem to the agency director and she suggested he try an experiment.  She said to allow staff/volunteers to have their cell phones during staff meetings and on their breaks.  Then she told him to text them their assignments and any other instructions he wanted them to have or complete.   He did so and immediately discovered that they did everything he asked and there were no further problems.  I found this really interesting.  I asked the director what prompted her to suggest the idea and she said she has found that by communicating to her teenage son and daughter by text any chores she wants them to do they are more apt to meet her expectations.

I can see man evolving into beings that do not have the capability of speech.  Maybe by then they will be communicating telepathically anyway and won’t even need to text.