OpenTelemetry is an open-source observability framework designed to help developers monitor and troubleshoot distributed systems by providing standardized data formats and integration points for collecting, processing, and exporting telemetry data such as traces, metrics, and logs. The guide explores the integration of OpenTelemetry with React Native applications, detailing how to instrument apps to send telemetry data to a backend of choice, specifically using Highlight.io. Key components include setting up a provider for configuration, creating a custom exporter to handle data transmission, and utilizing a processor for pre-processing tasks like batching. The guide further demonstrates how to implement tracing, logging, and error handling by creating custom functions and monkeypatching JavaScript's console methods to ensure seamless data flow to Highlight. Additionally, the guide highlights the flexibility of OpenTelemetry in adapting to different application requirements, encouraging developers to customize it as needed.