Parents and advocates who successfully pushed for cellphone bans in schools are now targeting 1-on-1 devices, arguing that students spend too much time in front of screens for core subjects like reading and math. The movement, which has gained momentum over the past five years following legislative victories on phones, faces a more complex challenge due to districts' substantial investments in Chromebooks and laptops.
The push to limit school-issued devices represents an expansion of the grassroots effort that resulted in more than 30 states enacting legislation requiring schools to create policies around cellphones. Some districts have gone as far as requiring students to store phones in locked pouches during the day.
What the Left Is Saying
Proponents of limiting 1-on-1 devices argue that screen time in classrooms has gone too far, particularly for younger students learning core subjects. They point to research suggesting analog learning is more effective for reading and math.
Jodi Carreon, a leader with Distraction-Free Schools California, said the pendulum has swung too far in one direction. 'COVID had a lot to do with that, but it actually started well before then, and the sort of overreliance on screens in our schools has just changed the very nature of what it means to go to school, and that's been problematic on several fronts,' Carreon said.
Anya Meksin, deputy director of Schools Beyond Screens, said her Los Angeles-based group grew from a dozen people to more than 2,000 in just over a year. The organization helped draft language for a sweeping resolution to reform tech at LAUSD, the second-largest public school district in the country. 'We've also seen progress from the administration on new guidance to teachers about engaging with parents who want to minimize digital use for their children,' Meksin said.
Harvard-trained neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath, author of 'The Digital Delusion,' said research supports limiting screen use for core learning. 'If the goal is learning, then most situations, yes, analog learning is better than digital learning in almost every situation we've looked at,' he said.
What the Right Is Saying
School administrators and some parents defend 1-on-1 devices, arguing they prepare students for a technology-driven workforce and provide up-to-date information that textbooks cannot match. They caution against discarding tools that, with proper training and protocols, can enhance learning.
David Law, superintendent of Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnesota, said his district invested in personal devices 15 years ago. While 20 to 30 percent of parents have expressed concerns, he noted that most work students do is easier to complete on technology, and teachers post assignments and monitor progress online.
'It's harder, and the other part of it is most of the work that kids are doing is much easier to do on technology,' Law said. He added that most secondary students no longer use lockers because they bring devices everywhere.
Nick McGurk, assistant principal of Streator Township High School No. 40 in Illinois, said his school has ordered more traditional textbooks for core areas while maintaining Chromebooks in the curriculum. 'Anytime there's a movement towards anything, there's going to be adjustments that need to be made,' he said. 'We have gone back and ordered some more traditional textbooks, but that does not mean that the Chromebook is not integrated into the curriculum.'
What the Numbers Show
More than 30 states have enacted legislation requiring schools to create policies around cellphones in classrooms over the past five years. Some districts require students to store phones in locked pouches they cannot access during the school day.
Schools Beyond Screens grew from approximately 12 members to more than 2,000 in just over a year. The group has received inquiries about starting chapters in other parts of the country.
According to one superintendent, 20 to 30 percent of parents have expressed concerns about 1-on-1 device policies in his district, with a smaller fraction refusing devices entirely for their students.
State tests have moved online in many cases, creating additional reliance on devices for standardized testing.
The Bottom Line
The debate over 1-on-1 devices in schools reflects broader tensions between preparing students for a technology-driven economy and concerns about screen time's effects on learning. While advocates acknowledge that technology is necessary for teaching specific skills like typing and graphic design, they argue core subjects are better taught through analog methods. Districts that have invested millions in devices face pressure to balance parent concerns with educational benefits they say technology provides. The movement's success in passing cellphone legislation has given momentum to device restrictions, though the financial investment and curriculum integration make these policies harder to implement than phone bans.