16 States Consider Limits on Classroom Technology as Schools Test Reduced Screen Use

At least 16 states have introduced bills to limit classroom technology. The measures follow rising concerns over student attention, behavior and learning. Schools Beyond Screens began with fewer than a dozen parents in the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2025.

The group has since expanded to thousands of parents and educators nationwide, according to policy director Kate Brody. It worked with the Los Angeles board to pass a resolution that limits classroom screen time and ends school-issued devices for students in first grade and younger.

McPherson Middle School in Kansas banned cellphones in 2022. Principal Inge Esping said the suspension rate fell 70 percent afterward and that students began speaking more with one another and with teachers. Behavioral problems involving Chromebooks, including gaming during class, prompted the school to secure a grant for device carts.

The school does not set a cap on Chromebook use; teachers are told to use the devices only when they improve learning. Students at McPherson told Esping that binders and pencils feel lighter than Chromebooks and help them focus better. The American Federation of Teachers released a 10-point plan on Wednesday to set guardrails on AI and screen time.

The plan limits AI use and bans screens for prekindergarten through second-grade students unless a compelling reason exists, such as support for students with special needs. ” A 2025 report from the Consortium for School Networking stated that ed tech, when used with intention and balance, can support differentiation, accessibility, enrichment and workforce preparation.

” Esping agrees that not all screen time is the same and that differences exist between ed tech and consumer technology.

She added that educators must still recognize when devices hinder learning. “We also need to recognize that tech alone is not an enhancement of learning,” Esping said.