Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
Instructor Perspectives on Mobile Technologies and Social Media in Practice: Findings From the United Kingdom's Outward Bound Trust
Outward Bound Trust instructors in the UK saw phone-free experiences as more powerful for young people and valued in-person, in-place interaction over social media.
What's new
Twenty instructional staff from three UK Outward Bound Trust centres in Wales, England and Scotland were interviewed online as part of a multiple-case study. Two main themes emerged from their perceptions. First, instructors saw phone-free outdoor experiences as more impactful for young people today. Second, they saw social media as 'fake' and outdoor adventurous education as requiring in-person and in-place interaction. The authors use a postdigital lens to question whether any residential outdoor experience can be truly 'technology free'.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
Device policies are a live issue for EOTC trips in Aotearoa. This study gives practitioner views that can inform those decisions and conversations with students and whānau.
Putting it into practice
Before a residential trip, set a clear and reasoned approach to phones and social media, and explain the reasons to students and whānau.
How strong is the evidence
This qualitative study reports instructor perceptions from one organisation. It does not measure the effects of phone use or phone-free time on young people.
What to read
The two themes and the discussion of the postdigital lens.