Time’s Up?

Starting in January, middle schoolers in Los Angeles, California, will take notes with pens and paper instead of laptops. They’ll do research with books instead of the internet. And for group projects, they’ll work with classmates face-to-face instead of messaging them on an app.

The low-tech approach isn’t by choice. The Los Angeles Unified School District recently enacted a policy to scale back students’ use of tech devices, such as laptops and tablets, in every grade. Middle schoolers will be limited to six hours of classroom screen time per week.

Across the country, a growing number of schools are also cutting back on technology. Some states, including Iowa and Utah, have passed laws that limit the amount of time students can use devices in class. Other states have bills in the works. But the screen limit changes are taking effect in Los Angeles sooner than in other places. The city has the second-largest school district in the nation after New York City, with more than 375,000 students.

What’s behind the digital detox? Recent studies have found that school-issued devices generally do not make a difference in students’ grades. What’s more, many teachers say some kids and teens misuse the technology to access YouTube and games.

But critics say the policies can hurt kids and teens who don’t have computers at home. Other students who rely on the devices, including those learning to speak English, could also be negatively affected.

Still, many people point out that there are benefits to unplugging. Thaddeus Robinson, a seventh-grader from North Carolina, thinks using screens less in class would encourage students to interact more. “At my school, we are on the computer the whole day,” he says. “That makes us less social.”

—Brooke Ross