A growing number of teachers across New York are removing laptops and tablets from their classrooms, reporting that students learn better with pencil and paper. The trend is gaining policy traction, with New York City announcing a moratorium on generative AI for younger students and state lawmakers proposing comprehensive restrictions on screen time in schools.

What Happened When Schools Went All-In on Technology?

After the COVID-19 pandemic ended and in-person learning resumed, many schools embraced educational technology with enthusiasm. About nine in ten public schools nationwide had one-to-one device programs providing every student with a laptop or tablet during the 2024-25 school year, according to federal data. Teachers believed screens would boost engagement and learning outcomes.

But the results didn't match expectations. Ned Campbell, a US history teacher at Brooklyn's James Madison High School, noticed his students were using Chromebooks to look up answers, charge phones, and email friends rather than engage with lessons. When he asked students to answer the same quiz questions on paper the day after they'd completed them online, their grades plummeted from As to Fs. "ChatGPT," one student admitted when asked how they'd gotten every question right the night before but failed the next day.

Campbell spent more time monitoring technology use than actually teaching. "I just had to admit that it wasn't working," he said. "The kids didn't learn. They didn't retain anything".

Are Students Actually Learning Better Without Screens?

Last school year, Campbell eliminated technology from his classroom entirely. The Chromebook cart now sits untouched during class time. Instead, students work with printed worksheets, dictionaries, and handwritten homework. The results surprised him: while students initially struggled on their first exam without technology access, they improved by 20 points on the second exam. Campbell also heard from other teachers that his students' English grades had risen.

Jill Anderson, a third-grade teacher in Westchester, observed similar patterns. When students used district-issued Chromebooks, she found them playing with text fonts, browsing YouTube, and customizing avatars on learning platforms instead of doing assigned work. During the 2024-25 school year, she stopped allowing one-to-one device use except for mandatory online testing and occasional writing activities. This month, as she prepared for the new school year, she moved her Chromebook cart to the storage closet.

"A kid who is off task on a device, who knows what they might get into," Anderson, who has taught for 20 years, explained. "A kid who's off task sitting at their desk with paper and a book is maybe daydreaming and bored, but maybe they're coming up with something great".

What Policy Changes Are Coming to New York Schools?

Policymakers are responding to these classroom experiences and growing parent concerns. On September 3, 2026, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI and caps on screen time through middle school. The new guidelines recommend that students in grades 3-5 be limited to 30 minutes of daily screen time, and middle school students to 45 minutes. Individual screens are barred entirely through second grade.

At the state level, Senator Andrew Gounardes introduced the FOCUS Act, which would represent the most comprehensive restriction on educational technology in the country if passed. The bill would require screen-free instruction in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and give older students and their parents the right to refuse school-issued devices if a reasonable alternative exists.

What Would the FOCUS Act Actually Require?

The proposed legislation includes several specific restrictions on how schools can use technology:

• Device Restrictions: School-issued devices would have to be free of social media, gaming, direct messaging apps, chatbots, generative AI, and cameras.
• Company Oversight: Educational technology companies would be required to register with the state Attorney General before offering products to school districts.
• Curriculum Updates: The State Education Department would update learning standards so that students are taught about the impact of excess screen time and social media use.
• Grade-Level Protections: Screen-free instruction would be mandatory in pre-K through fifth grade, with older students gaining the right to opt out of device use.

"We've rushed to put these devices in kids' hands, and these platforms in front of their faces without ever asking, 'Is it effective, and cognitively, is it good for kids?'" Gounardes told New York Focus. The bill has support from the New York State United Teachers union, the state's largest teachers' organization.

What Does Research Say About Screen Time and Learning?

The push for restrictions is backed by emerging research on technology's effects on student development. Studies have linked excessive screen time to poorer academic performance, lower attention spans, and behavioral issues. A 2026 study conducted across 50 countries by the Brookings Institution's Center for Universal Education found that using AI in education can undermine children's cognitive, social, and emotional development.

These findings have prompted educators and policymakers to reconsider the assumption that more technology automatically improves learning outcomes. Campbell's experience reflects a broader pattern: when students have unsupervised access to devices, the technology often becomes a distraction rather than a learning tool.

How Can Schools Use Technology More Effectively?

Not all experts believe the solution is eliminating technology entirely. Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Transforming Education, a nonprofit that helps educators use educational technology in schools, acknowledged that after the pandemic, school districts focused on getting technology into classrooms without preparing teachers to use it meaningfully. However, he argued against legislating specific device numbers or screen time minutes.

Instead, Culatta suggested that school districts should:

• Set Clear Standards: Define what quality educational technology actually looks like and establish expectations for its use in classrooms.
• Train Teachers Properly: Provide professional development so educators can use technology in ways that enhance instruction rather than replace it.
• Support Diverse Learners: Use technology strategically to boost student creativity and support special education students and English language learners.

The debate reflects a fundamental tension in modern education: technology can be a powerful tool when used intentionally, but without clear guidelines and teacher training, devices often become obstacles to learning rather than aids to it. As New York considers some of the nation's strictest ed tech restrictions, other districts are watching to see whether limiting screens actually improves student outcomes or whether the answer lies in smarter implementation rather than elimination.