Even before the pandemic forced students to the screen for educational instruction, both parents and teachers began questioning the right amount of screen time for their children. The concerns for too much screen time circulating among parent and teacher bodies mainly point back to both physical and mental health. A 2020 Pew Research report, “Parenting in the Age of Screens” confirms the alarm stating, “Fully 71% of parents of a child under the age of 12 say they are at least somewhat concerned their child might ever spend too much time in front of screens, including 31% who are very concerned about this.”

Undoubtedly, the pandemic catapulted students into a screen-time-saturated world, further amplifying the worry around too much screen time. Screens became the gateway for socialization, activities, and, of course, education.

Educators began harnessing technology in new and unfamiliar ways to engage students on the screen. From becoming fluent in screencasting, to designing engaging asynchronous formative assessments, teachers began using technology as a powerful tool for instruction. Additionally, the pandemic improved the bridge to student access in many districts who may have struggled before. Most schools moved to 1:1 models making access to devices ubiquitous.

As in-person learning resumed over the 21-22 school year, educators once again transitioned, this time back into more traditional instructional modes. Though, remnants of a fully online learning environment still linger. Those students who became used to the comfort of more independent, asynchronous learning now have to shift into more social, experiential learning modes.

Many students also became accustomed to spending a majority of their day scrolling through their smartphones, constantly connected to their social networks and social media platforms. Many teachers ask students to follow a phone-free policy in their classrooms, which is certainly an adjustment for many secondary students in particular.

All of this points to a need for educators to acknowledge the complexities of screen time and the implications of using technology in the classroom. While on one hand, there are enormous benefits in using educational technology, children surely need time away from their screens to process and acquire information. Stepping away from screens also allows students to practice presence and mindfulness, a much-needed respite in this day in age.

Both parents and educators are best to take a balanced approach when allowing or encouraging screen time. It’s not practical or beneficial to eliminate smartphone or device use at an extreme level since that is not the world that students are entering. In fact, young people need more knowledge and awareness than ever on how and when to use technology to either enhance or streamline some aspect of work or leisure.

Conversely, hours upon hours of smartphone use or a large percentage of classroom time spent on devices could lead to negative health effects. More and more research studies point to the fact that the digital stimuli can correlate with conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, or insomnia. A 2018 Environmental Research study goes as far to suggest that physical health effects can include obesity and high blood pressure. The report emphasizes that this “Current young generation experiences electronic media as a central part of their lives.”

While parents may enforce certain limitations at home (i.e. “no-phone dinners”), educators might feel challenged in limiting device use at school because of the student engagement factor. Many students are simply more engaged when technology is embedded into lessons, and educators may feel pressure to incorporate technology within every lesson as a result.

Often, though, upon closer examination, students might actually be engaged from what the technology provides, such as competition or social learning. For instance, teachers may use a Kahoot for a formative assessment, and the competitive gaming aspect draws students in. Or, students may share drafts of an essay on Googledocs in small groups, and the social sharing ups the level of investment in editing. In these cases, the screen time is of great value. In other situations where the same level of engagement can be achieved with paper and pencil, it’s best to give students a break from the screen.

Here are a few ideas of balanced approaches to blending technology use and more traditional instructional tools, which will allow students a break from the screen while still gaining the benefits of technology:

1. Students read and transact with a physical copy of an article. Then, they post “one important line” on a class Padlet, which the teacher has projected.
2. Students read an article posted on Google Classroom. Around the room, the teacher has posters for each section of the article. Students walk around and write down a response to each paragraph. This approach also honors the need for students to get out of their desks and move.
3. The teacher designs a station rotation model where students are on a device for only 2 of the 6 stations.
4. Try a flipped approach. After recording a mini-screencast lesson, the teacher posts the video to Google Classroom for students to watch for homework. The next day, students sit in small groups to work through problems together related to the concept on the screencast.
5. Students look through their phone for 5 minutes and find a picture that brings them joy. Then, they write 5-10 lines in their notebook about the experience.

Teachers may also choose to incorporate metacognition and reflection into the closure components of their lessons which ask students to think about how screens and technology impacted their learning. By asking students to think about how they acquired, retained, processed, or applied new knowledge, they’ll begin to notice how screens can both help or hinder their learning.

Through the design of their lessons and units, teachers can model moderation of screen time for their students. This takes purposeful planning and often a backwards design approach. By asking students to use technology only when it truly serves to enhance the learning, teachers will build healthier habits that are undoubtedly necessary for children to thrive in this technology-rich world.