Education experts are increasingly questioning whether schools should rely so heavily on laptops, tablets and other classroom devices, particularly for younger children. Their concern is not simply about reading and math scores: they argue that excessive individualized, screen-based learning can reduce opportunities for children to develop attention, curiosity, judgment, empathy and collaboration—skills that may become even more important as artificial intelligence advances. 

Introduction

As schools begin a new academic year, the debate over classroom devices and kids is becoming broader than a question of whether children learn better from screens or textbooks.

Education experts are increasingly asking what children may lose when a large part of the school day is spent interacting with laptops, tablets and adaptive learning software instead of teachers and classmates. The concern is especially relevant as artificial intelligence becomes more capable of producing information, solving problems and automating some forms of cognitive work.

A recent analysis published by Fortune highlighted arguments from University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education professor Sarah Schneider Kavanagh and University of Portland School of Education professor Katie A. Danielson. In an August 3 Washington Post opinion article, the educators argued that elementary school provides important opportunities for children to learn through conversation, disagreement and collaborative problem-solving—not just through academic exercises.

Their argument is not that technology has no place in education. Instead, it is that schools need to consider what technology cannot easily replace.

What Happened?

The renewed discussion comes as schools and districts reconsider how much technology should be used during the school day.

Computers and online learning expanded significantly over the past several decades, with their role accelerating during COVID-19 school closures. Many schools continued using digital tools after classrooms reopened.

Now, however, some educators and policymakers are questioning whether the pendulum has swung too far toward screens.

The issue is particularly important for younger children because classroom learning is also a social experience. A child working through a problem with several classmates encounters different explanations, opinions and approaches.

An individualized software program can provide a customized lesson, but it may not reproduce that same social exchange.

Kavanagh and Danielson gave a simple example: when mathematics becomes a sequence of individual digital interactions, students can miss opportunities to hear how classmates approach the same problem.

That distinction is at the center of the current debate.

Key Details

The concerns raised by education experts include:

• Attention: Children need opportunities to develop the ability to concentrate on challenging tasks without constant digital stimulation.
• Collaboration: Working with classmates teaches children to listen, negotiate and solve problems together.
• Curiosity: Open-ended discussion and hands-on experiences can encourage children to ask questions rather than simply complete assigned digital activities.
• Judgment: Children need practice evaluating ideas and deciding which information is credible or useful.
• Empathy: Face-to-face interactions expose students to other people's perspectives and emotions.
• Communication: Classroom discussion requires children to explain their reasoning and respond to others.
• Independent thinking: Students benefit from developing their own ideas rather than simply following a software-guided sequence.

These abilities are increasingly important as AI systems become better at handling routine information-processing tasks.

Background: Why Classroom Technology Expanded

The move toward digital education did not happen for one reason.

Computers can provide teachers with useful tools. Educational software can adapt exercises to a student's level, provide immediate feedback and make certain materials easier to access.

During the pandemic, digital technology became essential for maintaining education when students could not physically attend school.

But the extraordinary expansion of classroom technology also created a new question: What should schools keep using technology for, and where should they deliberately choose something else?

That question is now being considered in several U.S. school systems.

According to Fortune, lawmakers in at least 17 states had introduced or debated legislation related to classroom devices or screen use by July 2026.

Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the United States, has also taken steps to reduce screen exposure. Earlier in 2026, the district banned in-school screen use for students from preschool through first grade while limiting screen use for older students.

The movement is not limited to the United States. The Washington Post opinion article cited Norway's decision to reconsider its earlier reliance on iPads in education following declines in reading performance.

The AI Connection

The debate takes on a different meaning in the age of generative AI.

Schools have traditionally focused heavily on teaching students to obtain and process information. But AI systems are increasingly capable of producing text, answering questions, summarizing information, generating images and helping with analytical tasks.

That does not make traditional academic knowledge irrelevant. Reading, writing, mathematics and scientific understanding remain fundamental.

But it raises the importance of skills that require people to make decisions, understand other people and work through uncertainty.

Kavanagh and Danielson argue that attention, curiosity, judgment, empathy and collaboration could become particularly valuable in an AI-powered future.

The underlying idea is straightforward: if technology becomes increasingly good at performing certain tasks, education should not simply make children better at interacting with technology. It should also help them develop abilities that depend heavily on human relationships and judgment.

What Experts and Organizations Said

Kavanagh and Danielson argued that elementary education has historically served purposes beyond teaching reading and mathematics.

Their concern is that schools could unintentionally replace conversation and collaborative learning with increasingly individualized digital experiences.

The educators' argument is not presented as evidence that every laptop or tablet harms children. Rather, they point to a potential trade-off: a digital activity may provide one educational benefit while simultaneously displacing another valuable experience.

Separately, neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath raised concerns about declining cognitive performance in written testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation earlier in 2026. Fortune reported that Horvath connected declining standardized-test performance with increased computer use, while also noting that test scores are not a complete measure of intelligence.

That distinction is important. Correlation between technology use and test performance does not by itself prove that classroom devices caused declining cognitive ability.

Why This Matters

The central question for schools may therefore be less about technology versus no technology and more about finding the right balance.

A tablet can be useful for certain assignments. A computer can give students access to information and tools that were previously unavailable.

But a screen cannot automatically replace every part of classroom learning.

Children also need opportunities to:

• Talk to one another.
• Read physical books and longer texts.
• Solve problems collectively.
• Write and draw by hand.
• Participate in discussions.
• Build things and conduct experiments.
• Work through disagreements.
• Listen to different viewpoints.
• Spend time concentrating without constant digital stimulation.

These experiences may be particularly valuable for children who already spend substantial amounts of their free time surrounded by digital media.

The argument from Kavanagh and Danielson is therefore not necessarily anti-technology. It is an argument about the purpose of school.

If children already encounter digital technology extensively outside the classroom, schools may have a unique opportunity to provide experiences that are difficult to obtain through screens alone.

What Happens Next?

The debate over classroom devices and kids is unlikely to disappear as AI technology develops.

Schools will continue to face pressure to prepare students for a technology-driven economy while also protecting foundational learning and social development.

The likely challenge will be deciding when technology genuinely improves learning and when it simply replaces an activity that may be more valuable when done face-to-face.

There is no verified evidence that all classroom technology is harmful, and the available evidence does not justify treating every digital lesson as a problem.

Instead, the emerging discussion suggests a more nuanced approach: use technology where it adds educational value, but preserve the human experiences that technology cannot easily reproduce.

That balance could become one of the defining education questions of the AI era.

FAQs

1. Are classroom devices harmful to children?

Not necessarily. Digital devices can provide useful educational tools and personalized instruction. The concern raised by educators is that excessive or poorly designed screen-based learning may displace important face-to-face, hands-on and collaborative experiences.

2. Why are educators questioning screen use in schools?

Some educators believe that heavy reliance on screens can reduce opportunities for children to practice attention, discussion, collaboration, independent thinking and other social and cognitive skills.

3. What skills will children need in an AI future?

Education experts highlighted skills including attention, curiosity, judgment, empathy and collaboration. These abilities can help people evaluate information, work with others and make decisions in situations where there may not be a simple answer.

4. Does this mean schools should stop using computers?

No. The argument is primarily about balance. Computers and tablets can be valuable when they improve access, instruction or feedback, but they should not automatically replace activities involving teachers, classmates, physical materials and direct interaction.

5. Why is collaboration important when AI can solve problems?

AI can produce answers, but students still need to learn how to evaluate ideas, communicate with other people, negotiate disagreements and make decisions. Collaborative classroom experiences can help develop those abilities.

6. Did COVID-19 increase the use of technology in education?

Yes. Computers and online learning became essential during COVID-19 lockdowns because students could not attend classrooms normally. Many schools continued using digital tools after in-person education resumed.

7. Are schools reducing screen use?

Some are. Fortune reported that lawmakers in at least 17 states had introduced or debated measures concerning classroom devices or screens by July 2026. Los Angeles Unified has also adopted restrictions on screen use for younger students.

8. What is the main concern about technology in education?

The biggest concern is not technology itself. It is the possibility that digital tools could displace learning experiences that children need for social, emotional and cognitive development—particularly conversation, collaboration, sustained attention and hands-on learning.

Sources

This article was researched using Fortune's August 30, 2026 report, the August 3, 2026 Washington Post opinion article by Sarah Schneider Kavanagh and Katie A. Danielson, and related reporting on classroom technology and education policy. The claims above have been attributed where appropriate, and opinions from educators are distinguished from established facts.

Fortune — original report
The Washington Post — “Screens change elementary school education”