Last week The Economist carried an article under the title “Failing the screen test.” It describes examples of school systems that are not satisfied with their test results after using expensive digital learning devices. Many educators believe that increased screen time may actually impair learning by reducing the students’ attention spans and social interaction skills.

“Fifty years after Apple began marketing computers to schools, classroom are awash with technology. Some 90% of high school students and 84% of primary school pupils have school-issued devices; four-fifths of kindergarteners are given them.”

Although ed-tech companies claim that students will have greater learning gains, independent educational research shows that achievement test scores are going down as digital learning increases in schools.

National scores on benchmark learning objectives peaked in 2012-2015. Now, according to The Digital Delusion, a book by neuroscientist Jared Horvath, who reviewed thousands of research studies on student test scores after digital instruction have been lower than the minimum threshold for meaningful learning impact in any context.

Aggressive ed-tech marketing during the pandemic changed priorities for education everywhere. Now American schools spend $30 billion on technology, and the global price tag is $165 billion. A long-term result may be a deeper decline in performance for both reading and math. When screen time began to increase, test scores began to decline.

The idea that children may be almost addicted to their screens is alarming. Younger children may be particularly susceptible to the negative effects of too much screen time and too little creative and social play time. The younger children need to talk with adults and each other to gain vocabulary and develop better socialization skills.

Teenagers are becoming more fearful of interacting with members of the opposite sex because of disrespectful and even cruel email exchanges. Now, adolescents are more likely to suffer from depression and suicidal behaviors. These screen-time issues are something the schools cannot control at home.

 The Economist article did not deal with any of the social or emotional issues that may harm the next generation. The article was limited to the monetary cost of the “digital delusion.” Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent on digital learning in the last 10 years.

The article quotes a red-up parent advocate who said, “Imagine if all that money had gone to teachers instead.”