In May, the US Surgeon General under the direction of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. published a report and toolkit called Surgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen Use.
It is worth reviewing before school starts.
CPL has been warning about the dangers of device “learning.” Children are losing their ability to even learn to read. Watch our 35 minute presentation here, The “Shallow” Brain.
In our presentation we include a montage of teachers who are “crashing out” and describing the state of students in their classrooms. They either can’t read or refuse to read.
And this Texas teacher just posted this heartbreaking video last week. He’s talking about high school seniors!
Sadly, his seniors are NOT exceptions. Thousands of teachers are describing the same situation.
CPL recently spoke with the founder of a private school in rural Minnesota that follows a classical education model. She has noticed a stark difference in newly enrolled students compared to those from 11 years ago. They are coming to class without having lived experiences like fishing, baiting a hook, playing baseball, using scissors or holding crayons! They have spent much of their formative years passively watching a virtual reality.
This situation is beyond serious. It is catastrophic for our nation and for America’s children.
The Surgeon General’s report found that time spent on devices is directly linked to:
1.Reduced Cognitive and Emotional Development – “Too much screen use is associated with “differences in brain structure, particularly reduced cortical thickness in regions supporting visual processing and higher-order cognitive functions. Too much screen use and harmful content can interfere with language development, cognitive skill building, and cognitive capacity. Higher levels of media use have been associated with poorer executive functioning.
2. Reduced Physical and Metabolic Health – Early screen time is associated with “shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality…and an increased likelihood of being overweight and obese. Increased time spent on screen-based activities has been associated with a higher risk of myopia (nearsightedness), particularly in children with limited outdoor time. Research predicts that by 2050 almost 40% of children will be myopic…. increased sedentary behavior and reduced physical activity.” They also report “worse cardiovascular health and related behaviors, including poor diet and increased tobacco and nicotine product use…higher caloric intake, greater consumption of ultra-processed foods and musculoskeletal discomfort.”
CPL comment: Teachers are reporting that students can’t sit up straight at their desks because they lack the physical core strength!
3. Poorer Mental Health and Increased Substance Use- “Greater screen use has been associated with higher depression, behavioral problems, self-injury, substance use, and lower self-perception, particularly with high levels of social media use. Harmful screen use, including gaming and social media use, have been associated with poorer mental health. Earlier acquisition of a smartphone was associated with higher risk for depression. Children who got their first smartphone between ages 12 and 13 were more likely to show signs of clinically significant mental health problems by age 13 than those who still did not have one.” Adolescents with high screen time use exhibited higher rates of body dissatisfaction, self-harm, eating disorders and sextortion and online exploitation.
4. Reduced Academic Performance – “Higher levels of some types of recreational screen time have been associated with poorer academic performance, including lower grades and test scores. Recreational screen time may also displace time spent on homework and studying. In classroom settings, multitasking with digital media interfered with attention and concentration and negatively affected grades, test scores, recall, and reading.”
Many organizations are joining together to raise awareness about the real and growing problems associated with AI learning and screen time, resulting in unlikely alliances such as one between The American Federation of Teachers and Moms4Liberty!
Moms4Liberty is advocating on a national level for parental control of AI tools being used in the classroom. From their website:
Parents Must Hold the Keys to the AI Toolbox
AI is no longer theoretical. It is already shaping how students write, research, learn, and are assessed.
AI has the potential to be a helpful supplement, but it must never be given the authority to replace educators, override parents, or shape the worldview of America’s children. With firm guardrails rooted in transparency, student safety, and parental rights, we can ensure AI remains a tool for learning, and not a danger to our children or a Trojan horse for overreach in the classroom.
We agree. AI is being used to shape, transform and coerce students into answering, thinking and behaving in predetermined ways. Please read our review of Portrait of a Graduate or PoG, our most read and widely shared article to date. It is but one example of how children are privately interacting with AI and programmed algorithms to push them toward the “right mindset” for college.
Another helpful resource is the ScreenTime Consultant. Emily Cherkin’s work has been nationally recognized on how to use EdTech responsibly. She has published a toolkit you may also find helpful.
AI is here to stay. Our children must learn how to use it safely and responsibly. But device learning? That is something parents can directly control. Work with your schools to reduce the time spent on screens and set limits in your homes.
Read real books. Turn off screens and devices. Go outside and play. Spend personal time and interact with your children each day. Encourage them to organize non-digital activities with their friends. Play your part by offering your home as a place for them to play real games together, not video games.
You may discover that it will be difficult for your children to change their habits of virtual relationships. Talk to other parents and encourage them to join in. These are significant changes that may be a lifesaver for your children, their peers, and a whole community of families. Let’s face this challenge head on. Not only because we must…they’re worth it!