State lawmakers are increasingly focusing on student screen time regulations following successful cellphone bans in schools. This legislative trend aims to restrict screen exposure for young students, addressing concerns about excessive digital device use. Four states have already enacted laws this year, targeting screen time from childcare through fifth grade. These measures reflect a growing acknowledgment of the need for balanced technology use in educational settings.
Iowa has limited digital instruction to 60 minutes daily for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with exceptions for special education and assessments. Utah’s legislation tasks the state education board with crafting technology rules for kindergarten through third grade, including a ban on one-device-per-student ratios in elementary schools. In Tennessee, a new law mandates age-appropriate digital device policies to curb unnecessary screen time for K-5 students. Alabama’s legislation requires the establishment of screen time standards and teacher training spanning childcare facilities and early education.
Despite these advancements, not all proposed regulations have passed. Missouri’s bill to enforce screen time policies for kindergarten through fifth grade stalled in the Senate. Similarly, an Oklahoma proposal to cap screen time at 60 minutes per day for younger students faced opposition from the technology industry, labeled as an “unfunded mandate” by the Software and Information Industry Association.
Some school districts are proactively setting screen time limits for the upcoming school year. The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest in the U.S., is among the first to set instructional screen limits by grade. Their policy restricts screen time before second grade, with gradual increases to 60 minutes per subject each week for middle school students and 90 minutes for high school students.
Inanna Balkin, a high school senior, emphasized the importance of students learning to manage their screen time, advocating for schools to help develop these skills rather than simply restricting technology access. There is a notable lack of national statistics on classroom screen time, though it’s a focus for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Tracy Weeks from Instructure suggests that states consider quality over quantity in screen time policies, noting the difference between passive scrolling and interactive learning.
Virginia requires schools to educate students on the potential addiction of electronic devices, while Maine is directing research into classroom technology use. This includes studying average instructional time on school-issued devices and the existing safeguards in place.
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