U.S. and Canadian educators push back on screen time in K‑12 classrooms

Education leaders in the United States and Canada are expressing concern that increasing reliance on digital devices and screen‑based instruction may harm student development. Teachers in Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Manitoba cite research indicating that excessive screen use can impair cognitive processing, emotional regulation and collaborative skills, especially for pre‑K and early‑grade learners. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ recent update on screen‑time guidelines sparked debate, with educators seeking concrete strategies to balance technology use and reduce passive screen exposure.

District IT teams are also reviewing device policies as standardized digital testing keeps chromebooks in classrooms, while some schools in Los Angeles and Baltimore continue to provide younger students with screen access for test preparation. Meanwhile, a UK‑funded initiative is training nursing and midwifery lecturers in Nigeria to create digital teaching materials, highlighting the global dimension of the debate over technology’s role in education.