Frustration is growing among parents who say their young children are spending too much time online in the classroom, disrupting their learning and development at a crucial time, and facing tighter restrictions on screens at home.
Grassroots coalitions are emerging in school districts in California and across the country, including Los Angeles, San Diego and San Marcos, as parents become increasingly concerned that digital activities are replacing hands-on learning and interactions with peers with less monitoring. The groups want more transparency on technology use, stricter limits on screen time and more rigorous scrutiny on software products.
Julie Edwards became concerned when her daughter came home from kindergarten talking about “GG” the penguin who stars in an app on her school-issued iPad. Jiji guides her child through gamified math lessons that have become her favorite part of the day.
“It breaks my heart,” said Edwards, of Tujunga. “My kid comes home and he doesn’t tell me about his teacher, he doesn’t tell me about his classmates. He tells me about Gigi Penguin from his gamified learning app.”
Join our community-funded journalism as we discuss child care, transitional kindergarten, health and other issues affecting children from birth to age 5.
Edwards has been told that her daughter spends 15 to 30 minutes a day with Jiji. But what worries Edwards, even to a lesser extent, is that Jiji is a central character in her child’s school days. Edwards plans to take her kindergartner out of LAUSD to a charter school that limits screen time next school year. She’ll join her fourth-grader sister, who Edwards transferred to last year when screens started affecting her studies.
Gamified lessons on personal devices and video-guided read-alouds and sing-alongs have become more common in elementary schools since the pandemic, including transitional kindergarten and kindergarten. Nearly a third of parents say their children under 8 have this problem AI used for school-related contentAccording to Common Sense Media, which surveyed more than 1,500 families. For these young students, early childhood experts say children should focus more on practical learning to thrive.
American Academy of Pediatrics It recommends that families prioritize non-digital activities like games and social interactions for children ages 5 and under. Although the organization no longer recommends a specific time limit, one hour is a good goal to try for, said Dr. Tiffany Munzer, lead author of the organization. Latest Policy Statement On the use of technology.
Parents said children as young as four are assigned lessons on tablets and Chromebooks as part of their academic instruction and are not always prevented from accessing apps like YouTube and Minecraft during class, which takes away from teacher-led learning.
In 2026, at least 16 states, including Iowa, Vermont, and Virginia, have introduced legislation to reevaluate screen time or veterinary technology. At least four states — Kansas, Utah, Minnesota and Tennessee — are considering banning the devices in at least part of elementary school.
The movement to ban or severely restrict learning screen time for elementary-age students comes as nearly 40 states have passed laws to ban or restrict cellphone use in schools, including California, which passed a law that will take effect in July. The pressure of restrictions is a stark contrast to the reality of digital life for American families—whose young children can often engage in intense daily screen time.
Impact of Tech in the Classroom
Munzer, who is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media Executive Committee, said too much screen time can lead to language, cognitive and social-emotional delays, as well as challenges in children’s daily actions and controlling impulses.
Human-centered activities are important for young learners, Munzer said.
“Preschool and kindergarten children really benefit from hands-on play and tactile learning experiences,” she said. “Young children really learn best by having these socially mediated experiences and engaging the senses.”
Kate Brody spends time at home with her sons, ages 7 and 3, in North Hollywood on March 14.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
For Kate Brody, whose first-grade son attends a charter school in the San Fernando Valley, her son’s addiction to a school-assigned iPad led to potty accidents during class. At first she thought these events were related to her son’s adjustment to his new grade level. But then she discovered they were happening consistently during class iPad time. Being too invested, he said, he would ignore his body’s signals.
“He’s not able to communicate that he needs to go to the bathroom because he’s sitting there with headphones on for an hour and playing these games that are kind of addictive,” said Brody, who handles communications. school beyond the screenA parent coalition pushing for change in LAUSD.
A spokesperson for LAUSD said elementary school students spend an average of 31 to 50 minutes on screen time, adding that the district works with schools to ensure they are using technology responsibly and effectively. The use of one-to-one devices is left to the discretion of each school.
When screens help
Arguments in favor of classroom technology generally point to issues of equity and test preparation. California statewide assessments are typically taken online starting in third grade. Because of this, districts need to make sure all students have some knowledge about the devices, said LAUSD school board member Nick Melvoin. But testing isn’t a strong enough reason for kids to spend so much time on devices, he said.
Nevertheless, technology can be helpful in learning if used and designed intentionally. Munzer said content that is age-appropriate and used to supplement instruction can be beneficial as long as it avoids rewarding children for playing, is not overstimulating and does not include distracting content such as autoplay or commercials. He said it is also important to consider data privacy and that some tools may be helpful to students with disabilities.
But not all platforms measure up. And technology isn’t always closely scrutinized, said Rebecca Silverman, a Stanford University professor who studies the effectiveness of educational technology.
“I think it’s hard because there are so many products on the market,” Silverman said.
Looking for other options
Some parents aren’t planning to wait for policy changes.
Using classroom technology has been a stressor for India Brookover of Granada Hills, whose daughter will enter transitional kindergarten, or TK, next year and whose screen time in preschool has been close to zero.
Kate Brody makes lemonade at home with her sons, ages 7 and 3, in North Hollywood on March 14.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Although she wants her child to attend her local primary school for the vaccine, she is waiting for information about their screen time use. She is also considering a charter school where screens are not used until second grade.
“I don’t understand what kids are learning when you give a 5-year-old an iPad,” Brookover said. “I personally feel that this will lead children to expect entertainment from education and their attention span will decrease.”
Kim Packard also found little benefit from one-to-one devices for her four children. She’s pushing to change San Marcos Unified’s policies and in the meantime she’s homeschooling her first grader. She will do the same with her youngest child when she enters the vaccine in 2027.
“I think we have a wonderful school district,” Packard said. “I just think we’ve gone too far in one direction during COVID.”
How parents are pushing for change
Distraction Free School Policy Projectwho has led advocacy at the state level, wants to Restrict personal devices There is a push from kindergarten through fifth grade and a return to handwritten testing.
According to Jody Carrion, who runs and co-leads a parent group to tackle the issue at San Marcos Unified, individuals from districts across the state have begun attending California chapter meetings since it began in December.
“We’re trying to connect parents from across the state. We’re getting new members every day,” Carrion said.
Some school districts in California are reevaluating their technology policies. San Marcos Unified is blocking YouTube on district-issued devices for elementary school students.
LAUSD recently introduced a proposal that would require the district Developing a Screen Time Policy and banning the use of one-to-one devices for students up to second grade. If passed, the board could implement the new policy as early as the next school year.
“Walking into classrooms, I’ve even seen kindergarteners on iPads. It blows my socks off,” said Melvoin, who introduced the LAUSD resolution. “Children should be outside, they should be playing, they should be using manipulatives and touch.”
This article is part of The Times’s Early Childhood Education initiative, which focuses on the education and development of California children from birth to age 5. For more information about the initiative and its philanthropic funders, visit latimes.com/earlyed.
