What good is a social media ban when screens are rife in classrooms? | Letters

2026-01-30 - 17:05

Device use is prolific in schools and is part of everyday activities, writes Kristyna Skriczka, while Arianny Avrile Saviñòn describes the effects of excessive screen time on children’s emotional and social development Your recent coverage of children’s screen use (How screen time affects toddlers: ‘We’re losing a big part of being human’, 22 January) highlights an issue that still receives remarkably little attention: the amount of screen time built into the school day. While politicians debate bans on social media for under‐16s, and teachers report children trying to swipe the pages of books, it is puzzling that the question of screen time in schools is left out of discussions. Every morning, most primary school children are greeted by an electronic whiteboard glowing in the classroom, often left on all day. Lessons are delivered as slides, tablets are used for activities, and many schools require homework to be completed online. Continue reading...