Is Everyone Too Freaked Out About Student Screen Time?

Screen time.

Just two words, and yet they spark debates in school board meetings, parent forums, and education conferences across the country. The concern is understandable—parents, educators, and policymakers all want what’s best for students. But like most hot-button topics, the conversation around screen time in schools often lacks nuance.

A recent Wall Street Journal article (that we provided screen time data for) reports that students in grades one through twelve now spend an average of 98 minutes per day on school-issued devices—more than 20% of instructional time. Their take? That’s too much.

This very issue sparked a lively discussion at our recent District Advisory Council (DAC) meeting, where district leaders acknowledged that screen time is a major concern for parents and communities, but also pointed out the nuances that get overlooked. Not all screen time is the same, and lumping it all together misses the bigger picture.

Not All Student Screen Time Is the Same

It’s easy to lump all digital activity together, but that approach oversimplifies reality. Imagine these two scenarios:

• A student is watching short-form videos during class, toggling between gaming sites, and struggling to focus on the lesson.
• A student is using a school-issued device to research primary sources, draft an essay, and collaborate on a science project with peers across the country.

Both students are spending time on screens. But are their experiences equivalent? Of course not.

Student Screen Time: Consuming vs. Creating

One of the biggest distinctions in student screen time is consuming vs. creating:

• Consuming: Watching videos, reading content, playing games, or passively scrolling through information.
• Creating: Writing essays, coding programs, designing presentations, producing videos, engaging in simulations, and collaborating on projects.

While consumption can certainly be educational (a well-curated documentary or an instructional video, for example), a healthy balance of consumption and creation is critical. Schools should focus on empowering students to use technology as a tool for creativity, research, and engagement, rather than passive consumption.

The Real Student Screen Time Concern: Distraction vs. Focus

It’s true that digital devices introduce potential distractions. The After Babel blog argues that “learning improves when students spend more time learning,” but that devices, by nature, can divert attention away from deep learning.

That’s a fair point. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Schools can use technology in ways that support focus and minimize distractions. Solutions like Lightspeed Systems help keep students on task by filtering out non-educational content, monitoring engagement, and ensuring that devices remain tools for learning rather than diversions.

A More Productive Discussion on Student Screen Time

Instead of framing the conversation around “too much” or “too little” student screen time, we should be asking:

• What are students doing on their devices? Are they engaging in meaningful, interactive learning, or is their time spent passively clicking through digital exercises?
• How are schools managing digital distractions? Are educators equipped with tools to guide students toward productive digital use?
• How do we balance technology with other methods of instruction? Are we incorporating hands-on learning, discussion, and traditional resources alongside digital tools?

The Bottom Line: The Student Screen Time Debate Needs to Be About More Than Just Time

Yes, students spend a significant portion of their school day on devices. But that number alone doesn’t tell the full story. We should be focusing less on the total minutes and more on how those minutes are being used.

Before we rush to cut screen time in schools, let’s make sure we’re asking the right questions—and considering the real-world benefits that technology can bring to modern education.