Several prominent school districts are reassessing their approach to classroom technology, prompted by growing concerns about the extent of screen time in schools. Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second-largest district, announced plans to significantly reduce digital device use beginning in the 2026-27 school year, implementing a prohibition on classroom screens for kindergarten and first-grade students and establishing maximum daily and weekly limits for grades 2 through 12. Similarly, Canon-McMillan school district in Pennsylvania has begun rolling back its one-to-one computing initiative, discontinuing the distribution of school-issued laptops and tablets to kindergarten through second-grade students.
The shift reflects broader skepticism about technology’s role in education that has become increasingly visible at major industry conferences. During discussions at ISTE, one of the country’s largest educational technology gatherings, concerns about technology overuse emerged as a significant topic among district administrators and policymakers.
Expansion of classroom technology accelerated notably during the pandemic, when one-to-one computing programs became widespread across many districts, largely supported by federal relief funding. However, in subsequent years, scrutiny has intensified regarding the implications of extensive screen exposure in educational settings, particularly in light of research linking higher screen time to deteriorating youth mental health outcomes and behavioral challenges in schools.
In response to these concerns, numerous districts have already implemented restrictions on personal device use during the school day, with at least 38 states and the District of Columbia requiring formal limits on student cellphone usage in schools. The momentum for broader restrictions continues to build, as parents, educators, and students increasingly advocate for reduced screen time across various classroom contexts.
Legislators in at least 17 states are actively considering or have already enacted legislation designed to restrict digital technology use during school hours, signaling that technology limitations in K-12 education have become a policy priority at the state level.
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