When I was a kid, I spent every summer including Tisha B'av in camp. This was a great arrangement for my parents because they had a 2 month break from me every summer. It was great for the camp because they made money off me. It wasn't so great for me because I didn't really want to go to camp and there were a lot of terrible influences on me there. I was living with other people day and night for 2 months with a minimum of adult supervision [18 year old counselors are not adults]. Many of the people were not the type of people I would want to be [in most of the camps I attended] to make an understatement [I won't go into detail].
THANK G-D despite it all, I still wear a kippah and tzitzis and try to keep halacha. Some consider me religious. I hope Hashem does too. But negative influences and bad memories. My parents meant well and there was no way for them to know what really went on in camp. The advertisements looked so good and the place seemed kosher. There were also good times. Like sugar cereals. At home they were not allowed so I used to opportunity to fill up for the year. Shabbos lunch watermelon. Delicious. The rabbis who were good influences. Some quality friendships. So a mixture of good and bad. I would never send my children to such camps for all the money in the world but we have the experiences we are supposed to have. Hashem decides. When we get older we become more active players in our drama but as kids we are very limited in our choices and self awareness.
Came Tisha B'av in camp. How can people who are so far from HKB"H [on a conscious level] appreciate חורבן בית המקדש? Very hard. So they showed us movies. Movies we knew how to watch. That is not what Tisha B'av is all about but as תינוקות שנשבו what could be expected of us. At least we fasted. [Except for those who didn't.....].
Today things have evolved. There are loads of wonderful Tisha B'av programs and not just movies. They really give meaning to the day and help people relate. So let them continue until Moshiach comes.
But one comment. The Avoda of Tisha B'av is to cry. When one cries he can't talk. Crying and talking are a סתירה. We can't cry - so we talk. And talk. And talk.
I am in favor. We are talking great things. About the kinnos [the "keynote" speaker], about the חורבן, about what we are missing, about Tikkun Hamiddos. All wonderful things.
But הלואי הלואי הלואי that we should be zoche to cry, too.
