Abby McCloskey, Bloomberg Opinion, March 29, 2026

“Ask parents of school-aged children how screens are used in the classroom. If their experience is anything like mine, it goes far beyond such targeted interventions. Screens are used for indoor recess, core curriculum, testing and YouTube for lessons, but maybe also for a break.

This has parents concerned and states across the political spectrum starting to act. Most states have already imposed some type of restrictions on personal cellphone use in the classroom in recent years, although only three states are truly “phone-free.” Now adults are realizing they can lock up kids’ phones during the school day, and it’s not enough. Kids are still spending much of their classroom time hunched over a glass rectangle.

In the 2026 legislative session, 16 states introduced wide-ranging legislation to reevaluate screen time in the classroom.”