Ed tech under pressure as US states introduce bills targeting student screen time

Today, many districts require students to take assessments on computers, use digital textbooks and communicate through school-managed email systems.At the Utah Capitol last month, a mother told lawmakers her children struggled to concentrate on homework because their school-issued laptops constantly delivered notifications from games, chats and videos.

Days later in Tennessee, a pediatrician testified before lawmakers about children accessing pornographic images on school-issued devices and a nine-year-old patient who had been cyberbullied through school email threads.

In Kansas, a parent told legislators that her son’s ninth-grade class had to read a novel aloud because laptops had weakened students’ ability to stay focused.

Across the United States, these concerns are beginning to translate into policy debates. According to NBC News, legislators in 16 states have introduced bills this year that would limit education technology, or ed tech, in public schools.

The proposals reflect a change in how parents and policymakers view classroom technology after a decade in which schools widely adopted laptops, tablets and digital platforms.

The new push to limit classroom technology

Many of the proposed bills focus on restricting device use among younger students.

Some proposals seek to ban school-issued laptops and email accounts for preschool and elementary school students. Others aim to cap the amount of time older students can spend on screens during the school day.

Several states are also exploring regulatory oversight of the software used in classrooms.

According to NBC News, proposals in Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont would establish a formal vetting process for educational software used by schools.

In Utah and Tennessee, legislators have proposed internet filters that block all websites until districts approve them individually.

Supporters of these measures argue that schools expanded device use without sufficient evidence about its effects on children’s learning and well-being.

A challenge to a growing industry

The legislative push represents one of the first major policy challenges to the education technology industry, which has expanded rapidly as schools adopted one-device-per-student programmes.

According to industry estimates cited by NBC News, the global ed tech market is valued at about $164 billion.

For technology providers and school technology administrators, the wave of legislation signals a shift in public attitudes.

“It does keep me up at night,” CEO of the Consortium for School Networking, told NBC News, warning that policymakers may be acting too quickly without considering practical implications for schools.

Technology companies and advocacy groups argue that digital tools help personalise instruction and prepare students for the modern workforce. But the debate now extends beyond classroom tools to broader concerns about screen exposure among children.

Parents push back against devices in schools

The legislative proposals are partly driven by grassroots campaigns from parents who say technology is interfering with learning. Some parents have begun sharing advice online on how to opt their children out of school-issued Chromebooks and iPads.

Concerns about student well-being have also intersected with existing debates about cellphone bans in schools.

Many states already restrict phone use during school hours because of links between social media use, distraction and mental health challenges.

Today, many districts require students to take assessments on computers, use digital textbooks and communicate through school-managed email systems. Parents argue that while they may control device use at home, they have little influence over how technology is used during school hours.

Evidence remains mixed

The research landscape surrounding classroom technology remains unsettled.

Supporters of restrictions often point to the book “The Digital Delusion” by cognitive neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath, which draws a connection between declining national test scores and the widespread adoption of school-issued devices.

Ed tech advocates say the link is not definitive and note that other studies show modest academic benefits from digital learning tools.

A January report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that moderate use of well-designed educational software can support learning, while heavy exposure to stimulating digital media may affect attention and emotional regulation, NBC News reports.

Legislators seek a corrective

Some lawmakers say the expansion of classroom technology happened too quickly.

Several bills in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah seek to cap screen time for elementary school students using school-issued laptops. In Missouri, an early version of a bill proposed limiting elementary school screen time to 45 minutes per day.

State Representative Tricia Byrnes, who introduced the legislation, argued that lawmakers needed to intervene.

“We’re finding out that none of that screen time is actually proving to be beneficial,” Byrnes said, according to NBC News.

The proposal faced opposition from teachers who said legislators should not dictate classroom methods. The bill was later revised to establish a statewide council to develop guidelines.

Ed tech groups defend digital tools

Education technology companies and industry groups have begun lobbying against some of the proposed restrictions.

The Software & Information Industry Association, which represents technology companies, has argued in letters to lawmakers that limiting classroom technology could undermine workforce readiness.

Other organisations are attempting to address concerns by proposing quality standards for educational software. Seven nonprofit groups have launched an initiative to certify digital learning tools used in schools.

The aim is to give school systems clearer guidance when selecting educational software.

A debate that may reshape classrooms

For many school districts, the current debate raises broader questions about how technology should be integrated into education.

Advocates for digital learning argue that tools such as adaptive software and online resources can support diverse learning needs. Critics say schools need clearer limits to ensure technology does not replace core instructional practices.

As legislatures continue to review proposals across multiple states, the outcome could influence how American classrooms balance digital tools with traditional learning methods in the years ahead.
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