School Stands By Mandatory K-12 Screentime After Parents Protest

Parents are pushing back after their school district refused to let them opt their children out of technology in the classroom.

Students at the Lower Merion School District use tablets in Kindergarten and Chromebooks in second grade, AP News reported May 14. The school district said they cannot allow students to opt out of the technology after parents voiced concerns.

At least one parent raised concerns about competing against the devices for their children’s attention, and at least one student raised concerns about struggling to get into the right “mindset” for school, according to AP.

However, the wealthy school district was reportedly considering policy changes to address some of the concerns raised. This may include tightening cellphone restrictions, or banning younger students from bringing devices home, according to AP.

A parent campaign called Pencils Over Pixels circulated petitions to change the school board’s mind before the next meeting scheduled for June, KYW Newsradio reported May 19.

Pencils Over Pencils and the Lower Merion School District did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

The campaign aims promote “student health” and “human connection” by advocating for the enforcement of an “opt out” policy for school technology and a “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban, according to petition on its website.

Data privacy is another aim of the campaign. The petition also cited 2022 Internet Safety Labs study that suggested up to three quarters of EdTech apps profit off of selling students’ data, and advocates for the establishment of a “Technology Advisory Committee” independent of any tech-industry vendor.