EXCLUSIVE: Asst. Commerce Secretary Roth Reveals The Issues Facing Classrooms That Rely Too Much On Screens

Exposure to pornography, stunted development and anxiety are just a few of the issues that come with the over-reliance on technology in classrooms, Assistant Commerce Secretary Arielle Roth told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Roth revealed that more than 280 teachers, students and child development experts believe that screens in classrooms harm children’s development and their mental health, according to comments she submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday. This comes as the agency considers reforms to a $3 billion program that subsidizes internet access for schools and libraries.

Roth believes involving parents more in their education may help solve the problem.

“One key priority of the Trump administration is that parents should be empowered when it comes to their children’s technology use, and K-12 education is a clear example in which that’s not consistently happening. Many parents see tying an opt-out condition to subsidies as a common sense opportunity to rectify this problem,” Roth, who is also the administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA), told the DCNF in an interview.

“There’s this emerging, growing consensus that routine or default screen-based instruction, where every subject is taught through Ed-Tech or a screen, has been detrimental to children’s educational and developmental outcomes,” she said.

Roth emphasized that relying solely on these digital devices may hinder children’s learning.

“One thing a lot of the experts said in the listening session is that we’re not against kids learning about technology or how to use technology, typing skills in a computer lab under supervised conditions, or how a computer works,” the head of the NTIA revealed. “The difference is that this has been converted into a model where kids are taught everything from reading to math to science through a screen.”

The FCC in June said it would review the E-Rate program and propose reforms, with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr believing increased screen time negatively impacts children’s mental health and performance in school, according to The Hill.

“The FCC has a role to play … we want to take a fresh look at that program to make sure we’re supporting great educational outcomes,” Carr said in a statement at the time, per The Hill. “Are parents really empowered? Do they know that these kids are using these connections? Are the right types of safety filters in place?”