Too much screen time at school? Why parents want to control technology in the classroom

Frustration is growing among parents who say their young children are spending too much time studying online, disrupting their learning and development at a critical time and conflicting with strict screen limits at home.

Grassroots coalitions across California and nationally are springing up in school districts, including Los Angeles, San Diego and San Marcos, as parents grow nervous that digital activities are replacing learning and peer interactions with less supervision. Groups want more transparency in technology use, stricter limits on screen time and stricter testing of software products.

Julie Edwards became concerned when her daughter started coming home from daycare talking about “JiJi,” a penguin playing an app on her school-issued iPad. JiJi guides her child through gamified math lessons that have become a favorite part of her day.

“It breaks my heart,” said Edward from Tujunga. “My child comes home and doesn’t tell me about his teacher, he doesn’t tell me about the kids he goes to school with.

Edwards was told that his daughter spends 15 to 30 minutes a day with JiJi. But even in small doses what worries Edward is that Jiji is the main character in his child’s school day. Edwards plans to take his kindergartener out of LAUSD to attend a charter school that limits screen time next school year. She will join her fourth-grade sister, Edwards, who moved last year when screens began to affect her learning.

Advanced lessons on individual devices and video- and audio-guided reading aloud have become more common in elementary school since the pandemic, including preschool and kindergarten. About one-third of parents say their children under the age of 8 have used AI for school-related activities, according to Common Sense Media, which surveyed more than 1,500 families. For these young students, experts on young children say that children must focus more on teaching themselves in order to improve.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that families prioritize non-digital activities such as play and socializing for children ages 5 and under. Although the organization does not recommend a specific time limit, an hour is a good goal to aim for, says Dr. Tiffany Munzer, lead author of the organization’s latest policy statement on the use of technology.

Parents said four-year-olds are assigned lessons on tablets and Chromebooks as part of their education and are not always restricted from accessing apps like YouTube and Minecraft during class, minus teacher-led learning.

By 2026, at least 16 states — including Iowa, Vermont and Virginia — have introduced legislation to reexamine screen time or technology in animal education. At least four states — Kansas, Utah, Minnesota and Tennessee — are considering banning the devices in at least part of elementary school.

The move to ban or severely limit screen time reading for elementary school students comes as nearly 40 states have passed laws to ban or limit cell phone use in schools, including California, which passed a law that will take effect in July. The pressure of limitations is at odds with the reality of the digital life of American families – their home for the arts of young children can not engage in hours of daily screen time.

The impact of Tech in the classroom

Too much screen time can lead to language, cognitive and social-emotional delays and challenges in how children manage daily activities and manage influences, said Munzer, who is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media Executive Committee.

Human-centered activities are important for young students, Munzer said.

“Kids in preschool and kindergarten really benefit from playing with their hands and learning in an emotional way,” he said. “Young children learn best through these socially connected and sensory-engaging experiences.”

Kate Brody spends time with her sons, aged 7 and 3, at home in North Hollywood on March 14.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

For Kate Brody, whose first-grade son attends a San Fernando Valley charter school, the addictive nature of her son’s school-assigned iPad led to water accidents during class. At first she thought the incidents were related to her son’s adjustment to his new grade level. But then he discovered that they always happened during the iPad classes. Because he was so invested, he ignored his body’s symptoms, he said.

“He can’t say that he has to go to the bathroom because he’s sitting with his headphones on for an hour playing these addictive games,” said Brody, director of communications for Schools Beyond Screens, a coalition of parents pushing for reform in LAUSD.

An LAUSD spokeswoman said elementary school students average between 31 and 50 minutes of screen time, adding that the district is working with schools to ensure they are using technology appropriately and effectively. The use of one-to-one devices is left to the discretion of each school.

If the screens are useful

Arguments in favor of classroom technology often point to issues of equity and test preparation. California’s statewide tests are typically taken online starting in the third grade. As a result, districts must ensure that all students are familiar with the devices, said LAUSD school board member Nick Melvoin. But screening isn’t a compelling reason for kids to spend more time on devices, he added.

However, technology can be helpful for learning if it is used and designed with purpose. Age-appropriate content used to supplement instruction can be beneficial as long as it avoids rewarding children for play, is not overly stimulating and does not include self-play or distractions such as ads, Munzer said. Data privacy is also an important consideration, he added, and certain devices can be helpful for students with disabilities.

But not all platforms measure up. And technology isn’t always scrutinized, says Stanford University professor Rebecca Silverman, who has studied the effectiveness of educational technology.

“I think it’s difficult because there are so many products on the market,” said Silverman.

You are looking for other options

Some parents don’t plan to wait for policy changes.

The use of technology in the classroom has been a pressing concern for India Brookover of Granada Hills, whose daughter will be entering transitional kindergarten, or TK, next year and her screen time in preschool is close to zero.

Kate Brody makes lemonade with her sons, ages 7 and 3, at home in North Hollywood on March 14.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Although she wants her child to attend a local TK primary school, she is waiting for information about her screen time use. He is also considering a charter school where screens are not used until second grade.

“I don’t understand what kids are learning when you give a 5-year-old an iPad,” Brookover said. “I personally feel that it will make children expect education to be entertainment and reduce their attention span.”

Kim Packard also saw a small profit in one of her four children’s machines. She has been demanding that San Marcos Unified change its policies and is currently teaching to her first graders. He will do the same with his younger brother when he enters TK in 2027.

“I think we have a great school district,” Packard said. “I just think we’ve gone too far in the COVID era.”

How parents push for change

The Disruptive Schools Policy Project, which has led to advocacy at the state level, wants to ban every device in kindergarten through fifth grade and is pursuing a return to hand-written tests.

People from districts across the state have started attending meetings of the California chapter since it started in December, according to Jodi Carreon, who leads and manages the parent task force at San Marcos Unified.

“We’re trying to connect parents across the district. We’re getting new members every day,” Carreon said.

Some California school districts are revising their technology policies. San Marcos Unified blocks YouTube from district-issued devices for elementary school students.

LAUSD recently introduced a resolution that would require the district to develop a screen time policy and limit banning one-to-one device use for students as young as second grade. If passed, the board could implement the new policy as soon as the next school year.

“I go into classrooms, I’ve seen kindergarteners on iPads. ‘Kids should be outside, they should be playing, they should be using manipulatives and touch.’

This article is part of The Times’ early childhood education program, which focuses on the learning and development of California children from birth to 5 years old. For more information about this program and its charitable sponsors, visit latimes.com/earlyed.