U.S. school districts limit student screen time and ban generative AI tools

Bloomberg

Schools across the United States are restricting technology use amid growing parental concerns, while districts seek to boost enrollment and cut costs in the face of declining student numbers.

In recent weeks, New York City—the nation's largest school district—has limited screen time and banned generative AI tools for students below eighth grade this academic year. The Lebanon School District in New Jersey has restricted technology device usage to two hours. On the West Coast, the Los Angeles Unified School District is limiting screen time and prohibiting students from using AI tools on district devices—a significant shift for the second-largest education system.

Low-tech policies offer reassurance to parents concerned about technology's impact on child development, while helping schools stand out in the competition for students. Some schools that have restricted classroom technology use have seen increased family interest, whether through open house attendance or inquiries. As institutions face financial pressures, many schools are considering cost savings from reduced technology use.

District-Level Responses

Harold Abraham, superintendent of the Lebanon School District, said that ten new families who moved into the pastoral community this summer told him they chose the district partly because they heard it was discussing an "innovative approach" to minimal screen time months before implementation.

In Ohio, approximately one-third of the 1,000 students at Cincinnati Classical Academy are "refugees from other educational environments," according to Principal Michael Ross. Many come from schools where children received Chromebooks in first grade or kindergarten. The academy's strict ban on cell phones and laptops for students below ninth grade began four years ago. Today, the charter school has a waiting list of about 340 people.

Montessori and Waldorf Schools Thriving

Meanwhile, schools following the Montessori curriculum—proud of hands-on learning—are thriving due to parental concerns about excessive screen time and its impact on child development, according to the National Center for Public Montessori. "The schools we work with are almost universally oversubscribed," said Sarah Suchman, executive director of the center, in a statement.

Since 2010, an average of 17 new public Montessori schools have opened annually in the U.S. There are now nearly 600 Montessori schools serving approximately 200,000 students. In contrast, the number of public schools nationwide has remained flat or declined over the past several years, with closures reaching their highest level since 2018.

Parents seeking to reduce technology use are also considering private schools. Approximately 135 Waldorf-affiliated schools nationwide have become synonymous with screen-free education in many regions, with some experiencing surges in interest. "I see more and more people being drawn to learn about our school due to heightened overall awareness of social media's impact," said Jon Hershenberg, director of Silicon Valley Peninsula Waldorf School, which was featured in Jonathan Haidt's bestseller The Anxious Generation. Hershenberg recently adjusted the school's marketing materials to highlight its long-standing practice as a "tech-free oasis in the heart of Silicon Valley."

Legislative and Policy Trends

More may follow. According to an online crowdsourced national tracker, there are over 80 similar campaigns nationwide demanding that school boards in 24 states establish new rules for classroom device use and screen time. According to government relations firm MultiState, at least 14 state legislatures are considering laws to limit student screen time this year. According to Ballotpedia, only Alabama, Iowa, Tennessee, and Utah have currently enacted such laws.

"One very unified voice I'm hearing—but didn't hear six, eight, or twelve months ago—is this very anti-technology perspective," said Gabby Lo, CEO of Affinitas Education for the U.S. and Canada. "I'm hearing it in red states and blue states, across the country."

Counterarguments and Concerns

However, others agree with the U.S. Department of Education's advocacy for supervised and responsible technology use in classrooms. In August, the department issued guidance to states on this issue.

"I share concerns about children and technology, the importance of productive struggle, and the need for robust safeguards," said Richard Buery, CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, in a statement after New York City public schools paused AI use. "Yet, in understandable efforts to protect students, I worry we are rejecting uses that could help them." Buery said that without proper guidance on AI use in schools, "we increase the likelihood of students misusing it at home, especially those whose caregivers lack experience with generative AI."

Expected Outcomes and Cost Savings

Many schools expect low-tech policies to yield improved educational outcomes and cost savings. The Granville County School District, serving approximately 5,600 students, led the way last year by banning all classroom technology use two days per week. After surveying students and teachers, it expanded the policy this year to ban all devices for first graders, second graders, and kindergarteners. Located about an hour north of Raleigh, the district will also block all students from accessing YouTube on school devices. Granville County is part of a class-action lawsuit against social media companies, alleging that tech firms including Alphabet Inc., owner of YouTube, deliberately design platform algorithms to addict users.

"The tech bans seem correlated with many of the improvements we've seen in discipline and achievement," said Superintendent Stan Winborne. "I can't prove one caused the other, but I certainly haven't seen any disasters." A recent report supports his speculation—showing that students who do not use AI chatbots for homework perform better than those who do.

Like many districts nationwide, Winborne's district has been losing students, so he hopes this approach will resonate with families, helping the district attract and retain students. Beyond attracting parents, school leaders anticipate cost savings by reducing software and hardware use by teachers and students in classrooms. Educational technology programs "cost a lot of money," Winborne said. "Much more than we spend on copying and textbooks."

Spending Trends

According to Verified Market Research, spending on so-called educational technology by U.S. public and private schools is projected to reach approximately $60 billion by 2033, nearly doubling from 2024 levels. During the 2020 COVID lockdowns, remote learning requirements necessitated devices for every child, causing a surge in school technology use. By the 2021–2022 school year, nearly all U.S. public schools provided laptops or tablets to students in need, compared to just 45% in spring 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Abraham in Lebanon expects his decision to bring some savings. "I think there's an opportunity not to renew some redundant ed-tech subscriptions," he said. "It's not about abandoning technology entirely, but using it intentionally."

Source: Bloomberg