$18 billion says a lot.

It’s a statement about what has happened with companies like Meta, and maybe TikTok, Snapchat, and others someday soon.

These social media companies have sought profits and engagement at the price of getting kids’ eyeballs on screens and spending endless time scrolling.

The courts said as much recently when they handed down this settlement.

At its core, Meta was accused of designing Facebook and Instagram in ways that hooked kids and harmed their mental health on a large scale. Attorneys general in nearly every state signed on.

Experts are calling it one of the biggest class action consumer protection settlements in American history, right up there with what Big Tobacco was staring down in the 1990s.

Long story short, Meta knew Facebook and Instagram would be tough to resist for the youngest of users and had a direct effect on this group’s mental health.

Even worse? They knew about it and did nothing to stop or even slow it down. It’s one thing to be negligent; it’s another to know what you’re doing and still do it.

Virtually all of the folks in the camp world know the harm that has been caused. We are, after all, a group of people, camp people, who think day and night, summer after summer about what’s best for kids.

The courts have found that social media companies harmed kids. And the $18 billion settlement is the first of likely many steps to pay restitution for the harm caused.

Is there a better use of the money than sending more kids to camp? I struggle to see one.

This isn’t to say direct mental health services for kids, amazing after-school programs, educational initiatives, and community-based youth programs shouldn’t have this money put to work for them as well.

But just think about the way summer camp counteracts what, now legally, we’ve all acknowledged. Kids unplugged. Real friendships. Authentic relationships. You know, camp.

As part of the settlement, Meta has agreed to some new limitations on use of their platforms by kids going forward. For the first time ever, there will be a few real but limited guardrails:

• Two hours a day of use, maximum
• Nighttime curfew: midnight to 6 a.m.
• Push notifications disabled during school hours (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
• Likes and reactions hidden on kids’ accounts to limit “social comparison”
• Cosmetic-procedure filters banned by default (the ones that alter a user’s face)

Guess where all of this already happens without any intervention, timing, restrictions, court orders, or mandates?

Do I really have to say it? Camp!

Basically, every day or resident camp in the country keeps kids focused on their nondigital lives. They willingly unplug.

When settlements come down like this, there is a long list of organizations that (rightfully) line up to find ways to increase their funding and strengthen their impact.

I would make the very easy argument that no institution in the country is better aligned with the “fixes” for the problems caused by Meta than summer camps. Period. End of sentence.

This money is in the early stages of being sent to states. The decisions about how it will get used are being made now.

We, as camps, want to be in that discussion.

The ideal outcome is not complicated. Send more kids to camp. That is exactly the kind of social-media detox kids need right now, combined with camp being one of the healthiest places on earth for a kid to be.

Movement. Independence. Connections. Sunlight. The full stack.

The Camp Caucus is pushing for camp inclusion at every state-level table where this money gets allocated. There are a lot of other contenders for this funding, and some have a jump start. That is real.

But there is still time to be in the room, and there will be more settlements ahead.

This is why our work in DC is so important. It’s why getting involved on a state level has real impact. In this case, state attorney general offices as well as many state legislatures will actually be determining what happens with these funds in their state. This will require us to step up our collective game at the state level, something we’ve been working toward for the last several years.

But we need your help. Keep an eye out for more on this subject in the coming weeks and months. We will be reaching out to you.

Social media companies have a bill coming due, and there’s no better way to solve the problems they created than to get more kids to the best places summer can provide.

Join the movement. Get updates on the Camp Caucus and learn how you can support camp advocacy in DC.

Scott Brody is ACA’s Government Affairs co-chair and leads the association’s advocacy efforts in Washington, DC. He served as ACA National Board Chair during the COVID-19 crisis, helping guide camps nationwide through safe reopening while securing unprecedented federal support. A camp director for more than 30 years, Scott is Director Emeritus of Camps Kenwood & Evergreen and owner of Everwood Day Camp and Camp Sewataro. He has dedicated his career to advancing the life-changing impact of camp and championing its value on a national stage.