American Psychological Association weighs in on classroom screen time: Quality or quantity?

The American Psychological Association (APA) released a report urging educators to focus on the quality of classroom technology over screen time quantity, cautioning that AI-powered and gamified tools claiming to improve learning lack scientific evidence. The APA recommends evaluating technology on its ability to foster durable skills and warns that improved performance with AI does not necessarily mean better learning, as stated by Nicole Barnes, APA's executive lead psychologist for education.

American Psychological Association weighs in on classroom screen time: Quality or quantity? Chase DiBenedetto /author/chase-dibenedetto Read Full Bio /author/chase-dibenedetto Table of Contents Classroom technology is the focus of a new report from the American Psychological Association APA , which argues we should be focusing less on bans and more on the specific harms of flashy new tech. The report https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/children-adolescent-learning-educational-technology , which includes a long list of findings and recommendations for educators and parents regarding all kinds of EdTech, hones in on a new genre of educational technology that increasingly relies on game-like features such as earned rewards, flashy graphics, and customizable avatars to increase student engagement. In the absence of authoritative scientific evidence, the association cautions against tools — including AI-powered ones — that claim to improve intelligence, thinking, or learning writ large. You May Also Like Screen time can be misleading Raw screen time numbers, whether too much or too little, aren't an effective indication of how well a student is learning, the report authors found. "What young people do on screens matters as much as, or more than, how long they spend on them," the report reads. Likewise, a student's perceived engagement or confidence with a program isn't enough to gauge whether they will have positive learning outcomes. Basically, a student winning an educational game or completing assignments effectively does not directly translate into becoming smarter, according to the APA. Terms of Use https://www.ziffdavis.com/terms-of-use and Privacy Policy https://www.ziffdavis.com/ztg-privacy-policy . Instead, the APA urges educators to test how well students can apply learned skills in real-world contexts outside of the technology itself, whether it's an app, computer game, or chatbot. If students struggle, the report says, the tech has failed. To this end, the association recommends school districts evaluate new classroom technology on its ability to foster "durable knowledge and skills," and encourages schools to steer clear of tech that enables multitasking, relies on self-management from students, and has human-like qualities. Be wary of AI and gamification The APA urges educators and parents to exercise even greater caution with generative AI. "AI can help a student produce a better essay, but the improved final product does not necessarily mean the student has become a better writer," said Nicole Barnes, APA’s executive lead psychologist for education, in a press release https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2026/09/education-technology-engagement . "Just as we need to separate engagement from learning, we will increasingly need to separate performance from learning." The APA also joined other groups in calling for greater investment in AI literacy among young learners, teachers, and parents. Recently, coalitions of parents and educators have lobbied for AI moratoriums https://mashable.com/article/ai-k-12-classrooms-ban-debate that curb the introduction of generative AI tools and promote digital and AI literacy programs as a precursor. Both New York City and Los Angeles's chool systems https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-02/lausd-student-ai-ban-policy have instituted partial pauses on AI https://mashable.com/life/nyc-announces-ai-ban-in-schools and reductions in screen time for the 2026-2027 school year. Child psychologists have long warned about the impact of lifelong screen time and personal devices on children as they age through school. As criticism of social media's impact on young minds https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/youth-social-media-2024 has increased, so too have warnings about platform features designed to grab and retain attention https://mashable.com/article/pbs-funding-trump-childrens-media . These include controversial design elements like autoplay, recommendation algorithms, and tailored advertising. Many of these features replicate the motivational structures of gaming, more commonly referred to as "gamification." The concept has been put under the microscope by advocates across industries, many of whom argue that constant, dopamine-driven reward systems are degrading critical cognitive skills and executive functioning. Chase joined Mashable's Social Good team in 2020, covering online stories about digital activism, climate justice, accessibility, and media representation. Her work also captures how these conversations manifest in politics, popular culture, and fandom. Sometimes she's very funny.