CORNWALL, Ontario – The Cornwall Boys & Girls Club held their Unplug to Connect event in Lamoureux Park on Friday, June 1.
During a lunchtime picnic, all Boys & Girls Club members had to put their phones in a buckets and be unplugged from their devices and social media for an hour.
“June 1 is going to be known across the country as Boys & Girls Club Awareness Day,” said Jacquie Richards, Executive Director of the Cornwall Chapter of the Boys & Girls Club.
She said that this was the first time the Boys & Girls Club has held a national Awareness Day and that her chapter chose to focus on interpersonal connections.
“We see that our young people are plugged in all the time and we know there are negatives to that,” she said. “How we develop relationships has changed.”
Richards explained that for teens, being plugged into their phones and social media all of the time can create anxiety and isolation rather than promoting interpersonal relationships.
Daemen Wanless, a teen with the Boys & Girls Club who was at the Friday picnic explained that in-person conversations are what he enjoys the most.
“To be honest with you, I’m not oe to be on my phone a lot,” he said. “Personally, I like being outside and I like getting everyone together.”
Savannah Lapensee, another teen with the Boys & Girls Club said that she was excited when she heard about the idea.
“I saw it on Facebook and was really excited they were doing something like this,” she said. “It is important to make real connections with real people.”
“It sounds so simple, but it is something that even as adults we have a hard time doing,” said Richards. “This picnic is to get face-to-face time and connect with peers and family.”
A second event was held later in the day at the Boys & Girls Club’s Henry St. Clubhouse for their after school program. The kids in the after school program met to connect over a meal and some games.
