At a seminar last year, I sat in on a presentation on Artificial Intelligence (AI). After seeing the social media data reflecting how harmful it has been to our children, I asked about the safeguards for students. The response was, they “hoped” companies would be establishing safety protocols. It had been recently reported that several male students used inappropriate and harmful AI on their female co-students. This should be a warning to all.
Parents may choose to withhold devices from their children, but now schools are exposing them to a full day of classroom technology, and steering away from textbooks, putting children at social and emotional risk. From elementary school to high school it is reported our children are exposed to upwards of 9 hours of screen time daily.
In recent years, books like “The Anxious Generation,” by NYU psychologist Jonathan Haidt,have highlighted the negative impacts constant device use has on developing children’s well-being. Cell phones contribute to excess screen time and have become a major distraction and a tool for bullying in our schools.
Wireless devices in the classroom have also compromised cyber safety, as evidenced recently by a Wake County elementary school student, who was able to access hard-core pornography on his school laptop. Studies have shown bullying, lack of social skills, social anxiety, addiction, and obesity have been the fallout from the high use of technology by our youth.
Teachers also have growing concerns of plagiarism and cheating with AI, smart watches, and headphone devices. This all runs the risk of lowering a child’s desire to seek answers for themselves.
The academic loss, as reflected in North Carolina’s current National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores, continues to be a concern, and technology has not improved our progress. Reading from a textbook and writing on a piece of paper provides many hand-brain connections (up to 4x) along with motor skills, core development, and fundamental learning skills. Getting back to basics using paper, pen and textbooks, ensure that our children are engaged, focused, and exercise motor and social skills required in an age appropriate setting, especially elementary school; a time for exploration, free play, and the development of important skills.
Devices can always be provided as supporting tools, but it may be wise to first introduce minimal classroom technology devices in middle school classrooms, and then utilize them more in high school for deeper dive assignments and projects. The push for speed and convenience often comes at the cost of these important lessons, and when we bypass them, we lose something vital in the process.
The problems associated with technology in schools are being addressed this session in our General Assembly. NC Sens. Lee, Burgin, and Barnes have recognized this problem and introduced SB 55, the “Student Use of Wireless Communications Devices,” a bill which would prohibit cell phone use during instructional time. This legislation could provide the consistency and support that teachers need, while allowing them flexibility to use for a special need.
As a school board member of the largest district in North Carolina, I applaud this bill that would prevent these types of wireless communications during instruction so teachers and students can get back to basics.
Some additional concerns, like the recent nationwide PowerSchool data breach that affected over 62 million past and current students and teachers across the country, shows added risks of school technology. In addition, short life cycles also strain budgetary needs when upgrading and replacing devices. And the multi-layered process of submitting assignments, tracking tasks, and technical issues add extra steps and stress to both teachers and students.
In today’s world, we often hear the phrase “We have to raise our children in the times,” or, “Our children are growing up in different times, and we need to teach them how to use technology.” But, do we really? Are they at risk of being technologically disadvantaged if we don’t hand them a device at such a young age? Or are we placing more emphasis on keeping up with trends than we are on ensuring their actual safety and development?
I wonder how many of us turned to our children asking them to help us with an app. They have proven to be quite adept in quickly learning to use such devices.
We should revert back to the basics, encourage life skills, and use technology only as a supplement. It’s time to stop experimenting on our children and put their academics and safety first.
