“Edtech” has become deeply embedded in modern classrooms. In many elementary schools, children now spend significant portions of the school day using tablets, laptops, apps, and online platforms for reading, math, testing, and entertainment.
But many parents and educators are beginning to ask an important question: Is more classroom screen time actually helping children learn?
As an attorney representing victims of cyberbullying, sextortion, image-based abuse, and other forms of online exploitation, I have seen firsthand how harmful and dangerous the digital world can be for children and teenagers. Those experiences have made me increasingly concerned about how early and how often young children are being introduced to screens and internet-connected devices in school settings.
My recent op-ed in The Washington Post explored this issue after my own kindergartener came home reciting pharmaceutical advertisements from YouTube and asking to watch more “KPop Demon Hunters” after exposure to online classroom content.
Parents deserve transparency about how screens are being used in schools and whether those tools are truly benefiting children.
Does screen time in the classroom improve learning?
Technology companies often market classroom devices and educational apps as essential tools for improving academic outcomes and closing learning gaps. But the research supporting widespread screen use in elementary education is far less convincing than many parents realize.
Neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath testified before the U.S. Senate that after decades of research and billions of dollars invested in educational technology, there is little evidence that routine classroom device use improves learning outcomes.
Large international studies have raised similar concerns. Research from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) has found that students who spend more time using screens in class often perform worse in reading, math, and science.
Even modest daily classroom screen exposure has been associated with lower reading comprehension and reduced attention.
At the same time, children learn best through methods that have always supported healthy development: conversation, movement, hands-on exploration, creativity, play, and meaningful human interaction.
This is not a criticism of teachers. Educators are often required to use platforms and devices selected by districts and administrators. But parents are increasingly questioning why districts and administrators are encouraging heavy reliance on screens when they don’t align with what young children actually need developmentally.
The risks of Edtech go beyond academics
Concerns about classroom screen time are not limited to reading and math scores.
When schools introduce young children to internet-connected devices at earlier and earlier ages, they also increase exposure to online risks that children are not developmentally prepared to navigate.
Elementary students are still learning impulse control, judgment, privacy awareness, and social boundaries. Yet many are being introduced to platforms, browsers, apps, and online content long before they can fully understand the risks.
These risks can include:
- Exposure to inappropriate or harmful content
- Online exploitation and grooming
- Cyberbullying
- AI-generated explicit images
- Excessive dependency on screens and digital stimulation
- Reduced social interaction and emotional regulation
Children today are growing up in an online environment moving faster than most parents and schools can reasonably keep up with. While digital literacy and online safety education are important, young children also need meaningful protections and boundaries.
Technology has a place in education without egregious screen time in the classroom
Advocating for limits on classroom screen time does not mean rejecting all technology in schools.
Children absolutely need opportunities to learn computer literacy, coding, research skills, and responsible technology use as they grow older. Technology can support learning in many valuable ways when used intentionally and developmentally appropriately.
But there is a significant difference between teaching technology skills and placing young children on internet-connected devices for large portions of the school day.
Elementary school students do not need constant exposure to YouTube, educational apps, or browser-based instruction to become technologically capable adults.
Instead, schools should prioritize:
- Hands-on learning
- Reading physical books
- Writing on paper
- Collaborative play and discussion
- Movement and outdoor activity
- Limited, intentional, evidence-based technology use
We need better guardrails for kids and technology
Parents, teachers, and schools should be working together to create healthier, more balanced approaches to technology in education.
That includes:
- Better education for parents, teachers, and students about online safety
- Clear limits on classroom screen use for young children
- Greater transparency about the apps and platforms being used in schools
- Stronger protections for children’s privacy and data
- Developmentally appropriate technology policies
As both a parent and an attorney working in this field, I understand how overwhelming and confusing it can feel to navigate screens, apps, devices, and online risks with children.
That is why I offer parent talks and educational presentations focused on practical online safety strategies for families and schools.
These presentations focus on:
- What children are actually encountering online
- Where digital risks arise
- How families can reduce exposure
- Practical, realistic safety strategies parents can implement immediately
The goal is never to shame parents or reject technology entirely. The goal is to help families make informed decisions and advocate for learning environments that truly support children’s development, wellbeing, and safety.If you are interested in bringing a parent talk or online safety presentation to your school or community organization, please reach out to learn more.
