SUMMER CAMPS 2011; MAKING FRIENDS - IN PERSON Face-to-Face Socialization Plays a Major Role in Childhood Fun

Hicks, David, The Florida Times Union

Byline: DAVID HICKS

A campfire crackles, the night sky is dotted with twinkling stars and crickets sing their song late into the evening. Campers gather around the fire, marshmallows speared on hastily gathered sticks.

And then a monster arrives and the campers draw sheathed weapons and charge the fiend. This is "Free Realms," a free-to-play online game that allows users of all ages to meet and play together. But is this cyber-camp better than the real deal?

According to Pamela Bell, no.

Bell is the director of the University of North Florida's Child Development Research Center, and she said she thinks that face-to-face socialization, such as at a summer camp, is extremely important for the development of social skills. …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: SUMMER CAMPS 2011; MAKING FRIENDS - IN PERSON Face-to-Face Socialization Plays a Major Role in Childhood Fun. Contributors: Hicks, David - Author. Newspaper title: The Florida Times Union. Publication date: March 13, 2011. Page number: Not available. © 2007 The Florida Times-Union. COPYRIGHT 2011 Gale Group.

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