Screentime has changed the way we learn, teach, and Parent.
I am a teacher, a parent, and an optimist.
I believe technology, like any other tool, is best used in a specific time and place. I know what it can allow us to do. And I see how easily it can take over.
There is no question: both parents and teachers play an important role in modeling and mentoring when it comes to screentime. As a teacher and a parent, I have empathy.
I understand that schools feel pressure to offer 1:1 programs or class websites, but do not always recognize the frustrating impact this can have on students and families who must manage the at-home impacts of such requests.
I understand how hard it is to tell your 5th grader he won’t get a smartphone just because “everyone else has one.”
I understand why schools turn to programs like Google classrooms to “simplify” teacher workloads.
I value the idea of assuming we are starting with best intentions, and replacing judgment with curiosity. Parenting is hard enough already.
One parent described this challenge as "trying to hold back a tsunami with sandbags."
There is no "one-size-fits-all" answer, but we can and must start the conversation somewhere.