Parents across the United States are raising alarms about the increasing amount of screen time their young children are exposed to in schools. Many describe the situation as "electronic fentanyl," expressing fears that students are becoming addicted to digital devices rather than engaging with traditional learning.
Concerns are being voiced by parents of preschoolers through 12th graders, who report that children are spending significant portions of their school day interacting with Chromebooks, iPads, and various applications. This trend is particularly troubling for parents who limit device use at home.
One mother, identified as Nadia, shared her dismay in a viral video, questioning the prevalence of devices in pre-kindergarten classrooms. "I don’t want my kid to be learning on this. I don’t want to be paying thousands of dollars for him to just be staring at a device, because he doesn’t do that at home — he doesn’t have a device," she stated, echoing sentiments shared by many.
Beyond general screen time, parents are concerned about the content students are accessing. Reports include children playing games that mimic gambling, such as poker-like applications, and even a game called "Five Nights at Epstein’s," which involves escaping an island associated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Other students have reportedly resorted to copying and pasting answers from the internet for homework assignments.
These issues have surfaced amid broader discussions about artificial intelligence and its impact on learning. Critics argue that the overuse of devices in classrooms can hinder critical thinking skills and normalize cheating.
In New York City, the Department of Education has invested over $1 billion in technology firms, including a large-scale initiative to provide a device to nearly every student. However, some parents feel these investments have led to a "curse" rather than a benefit.
Data from a 2026 EdTech App report by Lightspeed Systems indicates that students, on average, spend about 48 minutes per day on school-supplied screens. While this duration might be lower than some assume, the report notes that the nature of the content consumed during this time is a growing concern.
The controversy has led to heated public debates, such as one in the Lower Merion School District near Philadelphia. There, parents voiced strong opposition when the school board voted to remove language from a policy that allowed parents to opt their children out of mandatory one-to-one device use. The meeting reportedly led to the removal of one parent by security guards.
Jim Hausman, a parent in the Lower Merion district, likened his sixth-grade son's Chromebook to "electronic fentanyl," citing his son's fixation on a poker-style game. Alexandra Parfitt, another parent, expressed concern over her daughter's academic performance and her reliance on easily accessible online answers for assignments.