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Tech backlash is picking up steam. On Thursday, a congressional subcommittee is scheduled to discuss a slew of bills meant to protect kids online.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers have advanced possible technological restrictions on schools. In Virginia, where I live, the legislature is considering a bill that would direct school boards about artificial intelligence in the state. It occurs at a time when the legislature is hearing testimony about how screen time impacts children and young adults, per a report from Virginia Mercury. In Tennessee, the legislature is chewing over a digital-device ban for grades K-5. That bill, too, was bolstered by testimony about the harms of screens, per The Nashville Banner.
Indeed, screens are an issue weighing on many minds.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently updated its guidance for screen time, a nod to the fact that it’s an issue that parents are concerned about, as EdSurge has recently reported.
Teachers and schools are also feeling fatigued by technology, even as schools — struggling with staffing shortages and tight budgets — increasingly turn to AI. I have profiled two examples of a traditionally human job now boosted with AI recently for EdSurge: in career counseling, and, in a piece copublished with The Guardian, in school mental health.
Social media companies are also facing a legal challenge that’s been dubbed its “Big Tobacco moment” in popular press, which argues that the design of these platforms is part of the problem, as EdSurge has covered.
— Daniel Mollenkamp, EdSurge reporter
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📣 TOP STORIES
CAREBOTS: Resource-strapped schools, especially in rural areas, are tapping AI-enabled platforms to assist with student mental health. Some say the students are more comfortable bringing their problems to AI instead of humans. In a story copublished with The Guardian, reporter Daniel Mollenkamp asks what that means.
ANALOG REBOOT: In his new book, “The Digital Delusion,” neuroscientist and education consultant Jared Cooney Horvath argues, backed by his own and others’ research, that technology in schools has interfered with children’s cognitive development and stalled learning. He encourages reclaiming education “as a deeply human endeavor.” Read more about his thoughts on brain development and learning in his recent interview with EdSurge.
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🗞️ IN OTHER NEWS
DIGITAL OVERLOAD: “Childhood and technology are developing concurrently, and the responsibility for guiding both is substantial,” argues EdSurge Voices of Change fellow Patrice Wade. In this personal reflection, Wade explores how technology has reshaped time, attention and emotional pressure inside today’s classrooms.
CULTURAL COMPREHENSION: Veteran North Carolina educator Terri Ashchi saw clear progress in reading comprehension among her multilingual students when she adjusted her teaching materials to be more culturally relevant to them — a practice research says is the most effective way to improve reading for English learners. She offers more tips for reading gains in this first-person essay, which originally appeared on EdNC.org. |
🔗 WHAT WE'RE READING
A pediatric hospital in Ohio started screening for illiteracy. (AP News)
Here’s how AI distorts children’s YouTube feeds. (The New York Times)
A fraud investigation is digging into Los Angeles Unified’s All Here chatbot fiasco. (PBS News)
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📈 STORY IN A STAT
33 percent
The share of teachers who have held a second job that was not related to teaching in the past year, according to a recent survey from Gallup and the Walton Foundation. Many teachers — 21 percent — are struggling to stay afloat on their income, the survey found.
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SXSW EDU Conference & Festival 2026 | March 9-12 | Austin, TX
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