Schooled by Screens: How EdTech is failing our kids (with Sophie Winkleman)

Why are kids using so much tech at school?

A hint: the year was 2020.

It started when COVID shut the world down and EdTech became an emergency measure. One-to-one devices kept learning going while schools were closed. It was necessary. But the pandemic ended- and the screens stayed.

At first, digital learning seemed full of promise. In a tech-driven world, it felt like the future. But now, the harms are becoming harder to ignore.

British actress and children’s advocate, Sophie Winkleman, noticed how agitated her kids became after hours of screen-based learning. She gave them permission to read books instead. Her instinct was right – and the research backs her up: too much screen time in schools is harming students’ focus, memory, and academic performance. 

Sweden has become the first country to reverse its digital-first education policy– replacing screens with printed textbooks and handwriting, especially for young learners. Sophie hopes more countries will follow.

In this episode of Scrolling 2 Death, Sophie joins Nicki to explore the data behind screen harm and why parents need to start asking schools tough questions: Is EdTech really helping our kids learn? Or is it putting them in danger?