The Problem with Screens

SAFETY

Privacy: Everything a student does on a school-issued device is subject to being monitored, logged, surveilled and retained. Tech companies are creating digital dossiers of our children starting at an incredibly young age that will be used throughout their lives. This data is collected and sold. These platforms are prime targets for hackers, as evidenced by the high-profile PowerSchool data breach, which impacted our district in 2024.
Commercial Manipulation: EdTech is highly commercialized. Children, even within “educational” apps, are exposed to and targeted with advertisements and marketing strategies to increase engagement and encourage them to buy products.
Access to Inappropriate Content: Children have access to sexually explicit material, material related to violence and self-harm, extremist content and more. No matter how well-intentioned a district and its staff, there is no filtering software that can keep up with the internet and guarantee students will not see harmful content.

Physical Health: Tech use disrupts sleep and has been linked to increases in obesity, nearsightedness, headaches, poor posture and neck problems.
Mental Health: An increasing body of research shows a link between increased tech use and declining mental health including stress, anxiety & depression, self-harm & suicidal ideation, and addictive behavior, particularly in children who may already be at risk.
Social & Emotional Growth: Technology displaces real world, in-person communication and collaboration and can often be used to avoid feelings of emotional distress. Children need practice with real-world regulation of emotions to develop healthy coping mechanisms and critical social-emotional skills early.

Academic Performance: Test scores have dropped nationally since EdTech invaded schools.
Analog is better for learning
- Reading comprehension & memory are better when reading on paper rather than on a screen.
- Note-taking by hand improves memory recall, conceptual understanding and test performance.
- Handwriting builds fine motor skills and enhances early literacy.
Deep understanding and long-term retention require sustained focus, effort & grit: EdTech encourages distraction and multi-tasking by design. Tech prioritizes efficiency, short cuts, entertainment (gamification), and shallow or narrow learning.
Play-based, tactile learning is particularly essential for young learners.
Executive function & soft skills are what our children truly need to be prepared for the future: Tech often offloads or displaces foundational, developmental skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, conflict resolution, creativity, teamwork, communication, empathy and more.
More Tech Ed, Less EdTech: Learning about technology and learning through technology are not one in the same. Our children need a dedicated curriculum to learn typing, spreadsheets, how to identify good sources online, algorithmic design, online safety, and more.
There is no replacement for human-centered, embodied teaching and learning.