American Psychological Association weighs in on classroom screen time: Quality or quantity?

The American Psychological Association (APA) has released a report scrutinizing classroom technology, advocating for a focus on the specific harms of new technologies rather than blanket bans. The report highlights a growing trend in EdTech that utilizes game-like features such as rewards, vibrant graphics, and customizable avatars to boost student engagement.

However, the APA cautions against the use of AI-powered tools that promise to enhance intelligence, thinking, or learning in general, as there is currently no authoritative scientific evidence to support these claims.

Raw screen time figures, whether excessive or insufficient, do not effectively reflect a student's learning progress. Instead, the quality of a student's engagement with the material is more crucial than the duration of their screen time. Furthermore, a student's perceived confidence or achievement in an educational game or assignment does not necessarily correlate with improved cognitive abilities.

The APA emphasizes the importance of testing how well students can apply learned skills in real-world scenarios, regardless of whether the technology is an app, computer game, or chatbot. If students struggle to transfer their knowledge, the technology has ultimately failed to serve its purpose. The association recommends that schools evaluate new classroom technologies based on their ability to foster durable knowledge and skills, and steer clear of tools that enable multitasking, rely solely on self-management from students, or possess human-like qualities.

The APA urges caution when it comes to generative AI. While AI can assist students in producing higher-quality essays, the enhanced final product does not automatically indicate that the student has become a better writer. The APA stresses the need to differentiate between engagement and learning, as well as performance and learning. In light of the growing interest in AI literacy, the APA joins other organizations in advocating for increased investment in AI literacy among young learners, educators, and parents.

Recent lobbying efforts by parents and educators have led to calls for AI moratoriums and the promotion of digital and AI literacy programs as a prerequisite. Some school systems, such as those in New York City and Los Angeles, have implemented temporary pauses on AI and reduced screen time for the 2026-2027 academic year. Psychology experts have long cautioned about the potential negative effects of prolonged screen time and personal device usage on children's cognitive development as they progress through the education system.

With mounting criticism of social media's impact on young minds, concerns have also arisen regarding platform features designed to attract and retain attention, including autoplay, recommendation algorithms, and tailored advertising. Many of these features mirror the motivational structures found in gaming, often referred to as gamification.