Screens are saturating U.S. classrooms, fueling a backlash on school-issued devices

America’s public schools once pushed to give every child a laptop or tablet, based on the belief that technology is the future. Many classrooms now have constant screens, and some parents, teachers, and districts want to scale back. A Los Angeles teacher describes students being distracted by games and online platforms and prefers pen-and-paper work when possible. Los Angeles Unified School District adopted a screen-time policy that stops device distribution to the youngest students, removes devices until second grade, sets daily and weekly limits for older grades, blocks YouTube, and bans device use during lunch and recess for elementary and middle school. The district will also audit education technology contracts, while reform efforts spread to other states.

"“The idea was that technology is the future, so we need to put tech in every child's hands.” Now, the conversation has flipped. After pouring billions of dollars into laptops, tablets and learning apps, many schools are facing a digital reckoning. Classrooms have become saturated with screens, and a growing number of parents, teachers and school districts are saying it is time to scale back."

"“The Chromebook is just a world of distraction,” says Soffer, who teaches 6th grade English and history. She favors pen-and-paper assignments but is required to use laptops and online apps for certain activities. “Every day, I'm battling, 'Who would you rather listen to, Ms. Soffer or Minecraft?'”"

"A sweeping resolution passed last month by the Los Angeles school board requires the district to eliminate devices until second grade; set daily and weekly screen limits for all higher grades; block YouTube on school devices; and ban the use of devices at lunch and recess in elementary and middle school. The district will also audit its education technology contracts, which the teachers union says amount to $1.6 billion."

"The Los Angeles crackdown is adding momentum to calls for reform emerging around the country. In many cases, parents lobbied a few years ago for school cellphone bans, which have now become the norm. Realizing phones weren't the only classroom distraction, they pivoted to a new target: school-issued devices. The campaign for change is becoming a public policy issue."

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