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Students visit Japan in June as part of an educational trip through Paragon Prep. Without cell phone use during the day, students begin paying attention to each other and to the world around them, Lindsay Hay writes.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Lindsay Hay<\/p>\n
My phone couldn\u2019t tell me.<\/p>\n
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Standing deep beneath Osaka, Japan, in one of the world\u2019s busiest subway systems, my group of students wandered through a maze of tunnels, staircases and signs we couldn\u2019t read. Without the sun, a skyline or familiar landmarks, even digital maps became almost useless.<\/p>\n
In that moment, I had an unexpected thought: This is exactly where we need to be.<\/p>\n
After 15 years of leading student travel programs, I\u2019ve come to believe that getting genuinely, uncomfortably lost is one of the most valuable learning experiences we can give young people. Not because we want them to struggle, but because navigating uncertainty teaches lessons that no worksheet or lecture can replicate.<\/p>\n
Travel has always been educational, but not simply because students visit museums or historic sites. Its greatest value lies in the unexpected moments that require observation, problem-solving, communication and resilience.<\/p>\n
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Those opportunities are becoming increasingly rare.<\/p>\n
ALSO READ: We delayed getting our kid a phone, social media until high school. We were right<\/a><\/p>\n Today\u2019s children are growing up in a world designed to eliminate boredom and uncertainty. Waiting rooms, restaurants, airports and even grocery stores are filled with children absorbed in screens. I recently visited Disney World and saw toddlers watching\u00a0iPads from their strollers while surrounded by one of the most immersive environments ever created. They were physically present but mentally somewhere else.<\/p>\n As parents and educators, our instinct is often to make every idle moment easier. But when we constantly entertain children, we rob them of opportunities to become curious, observant and independent. Boredom often sparks creativity, and uncertainty builds confidence.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n That\u2019s why our trips have a simple rule: no cell phone use by students, except to call their parents at night.<\/p>\n Without devices, students begin paying attention to each other and to the world around them. They notice architecture, landmarks, neighborhoods and conversations. They learn to remember turns, ask thoughtful questions and solve problems together instead of searching for instant answers online.<\/p>\n Those aren\u2019t just travel skills. They\u2019re life skills.<\/p>\n