Beyond Cell Phone Bans: Schools Are Rethinking Classroom Screen Time

Student cell phone restrictions have expanded rapidly across the country, with 32 states now having enacted statewide laws or policies addressing student cell phone use in K-12 public schools. As those restrictions take effect, some states and districts are also placing new limits on school-issued devices, classroom screen time, and student access to digital applications.

Greenville County Schools in South Carolina is among the districts introducing new guidelines for the 2026-27 school year, with changes based on students' ages and grade levels.

The changes come several years after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated schools' adoption of laptops, tablets, and online learning platforms. Many of those tools remain part of everyday instruction, while recent policies have also addressed student privacy, online safety, artificial intelligence, and the vetting of third-party applications.

Greenville County Changes Device and App Access

Greenville County Schools is changing technology use depending on students' ages. Kindergarten and first grade classrooms will move away from individual devices, with three to five devices available in each classroom for small-group rotations or individual instruction when needed.

Students in grades two through five will continue to have access to individual devices, but device use will be limited to no more than 50% of instructional time, with exceptions for technology-specific subjects. Middle and high school students will continue to use individual Chromebooks.

Across grade levels, students will be restricted to applications approved by the district. The district reviewed applications used in its classrooms and approved 14 while discontinuing 14 others that did not meet requirements related to areas including security, safety, and rostering.

Student Privacy and Online Safety

District technology policies can also address how student information is collected, stored, and shared.

Schools routinely rely on third-party applications for instruction, assessment, communication, and other purposes. Greenville County, for example, evaluates web-based applications and services used by students and maintains agreements with third-party providers as part of its efforts to comply with federal student privacy requirements.

The U.S. Department of Education also warns that online educational applications and services can introduce security and privacy vulnerabilities into school district IT systems. The department recommends that educators verify applications are approved for classroom use and consult district IT staff before using new software.

Online safety is another consideration. Recent reporting in Georgia highlighted concerns that school-issued laptops and tablets can expose students to cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and interactions with strangers when safeguards and adult oversight are insufficient.

Safety advocates interviewed for the report said those concerns can extend beyond the school day when students take devices home. They recommended that parents keep phones, tablets, and computers out of children's bedrooms and encourage technology use in shared family spaces where online activity can be more easily supervised.

Schools are also responding to digital safety concerns involving social media and other online platforms. Recent school safety efforts have included training on online child exploitation and sextortion, responding to AI-generated explicit images and digital harassment, and assessing student social media posts involving threats, self-harm, or other concerning behavior.

School Device Use Expanded Rapidly During COVID-19

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to move instruction online in 2020, students suddenly needed access to laptops or tablets to interact with teachers and complete assignments.

States and districts used federal pandemic relief funding to purchase devices, improve internet connectivity, and address the digital divide between families that had reliable access to computers and high-speed internet and those that did not.

Most schools returned to in-person instruction by 2021, but many continued relying heavily on the devices, applications, and online platforms adopted during remote learning.

As of late July 2026, lawmakers in at least 17 states had introduced or debated legislation addressing classroom screen time or student use of digital devices. Six states had enacted new laws.

States and Districts Adopt New Technology Policies

In June 2026, Los Angeles Unified School District approved a policy eliminating in-school screen use for students in preschool through first grade and establishing limits for older students.

LAUSD is also moving away from automatically sending school-issued devices home with every student. Elementary classrooms will instead use shared devices, with take-home access available on an opt-in basis in older grades.

Marietta City Schools in Georgia adopted a policy in July calling for device screens to be "closed by default." Under the policy, device screens are expected to remain closed unless they are being used for a clear instructional purpose.

States have also enacted legislation addressing school-issued technology and classroom screen time. A Utah law that took effect in July prohibits one-to-one device ratios for students in kindergarten through third grade, with certain exceptions, including standardized testing. Iowa has enacted legislation limiting digital instruction for elementary students, while Maine approved a study examining the impact of classroom technology.

What Research Says About Student Screen Time

Research examining screen use among children and adolescents has associated higher levels of screen time with a range of physical, cognitive, and social-emotional outcomes, although findings vary depending on the type and context of screen use.

An analysis of 58 studies involving children and adolescents ages four to 18 found that television viewing and video game use were negatively associated with academic performance, although overall screen time was not. Researchers emphasized that different types of screen-based activities should be evaluated separately rather than treating all screen use the same.

The American Academy of Pediatrics takes a similarly nuanced approach. Rather than recommending a universal screen-time limit for all children and adolescents, the AAP recommends considering the quality of digital experiences, what students are doing on screens, and whether technology is displacing activities that may be better suited to hands-on or face-to-face learning. Its school-specific guidance also notes that 90% of U.S. public schools now have enough laptops or tablets for every student.

Janice Mak, a clinical assistant professor of computer science education and educational technology at Arizona State University, has also highlighted research distinguishing passive screen use from the purposeful use of technology to investigate questions, analyze information, solve problems, and collaborate. Mak served on a National Academies committee that examined data science, computer science, and artificial intelligence education in K-12 schools.

The committee's March 2026 report recommends that students learn how data is collected and used, how AI and other computing systems work, how technology affects people and society, and how those tools can be used to solve problems.

Beyond the Cell Phone Debate

Unlike cell phone restrictions, which largely address personal devices students bring to school, the policies emerging in Greenville County, Los Angeles, Marietta and several states address technology provided or authorized by schools.

The policies vary considerably. Some limit screen time or one-to-one devices, while others address which applications students can access, how technology is used during instruction, or what restrictions apply at different grade levels.