In 2002, Maine became the first state to implement a statewide laptop program to some grade levels. Then-governor Angus King saw the program as a way to put the internet at the fingertips of more children, who would be able to immerse themselves in information.
Fast forward. Look what happened to our kids.
Over the past two decades, the United States has made a massive bet on technology in the classroom. By 2024 alone, schools had spent more than $30 billion on laptops and tablets, largely replacing traditional textbooks with screens. The promise was simple and compelling. Put unlimited information into the hands of every student and learning would accelerate. But the results are now forcing a serious reexamination of that assumption.
Researchers and neuroscientists are increasingly warning that the outcome has not matched the investment. In testimony before the U.S. Senate, neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath pointed to data showing that Generation Z is the first in modern history to perform worse on standardized tests than the generation before it, despite having unprecedented access to technology. Global assessment data, including international testing of 15 year olds, shows declines in literacy, numeracy, and sustained attention. Even more concerning, studies have found a direct correlation between increased classroom screen time and lower academic performance.
The issue is not simply access to devices. It is how those devices change behavior. Research shows that laptops in learning environments often introduce distraction, with one study finding that students spent nearly two thirds of their time on laptops on non academic activities, disrupting focus and weakening memory formation. Experts warn that learning is inherently effortful, requiring concentration, struggle, and deep engagement. When technology removes that friction, it may also reduce the very cognitive processes that build understanding.
The bottom line is becoming harder to ignore. A $30 billion investment intended to enhance learning may have coincided with measurable declines in key academic and cognitive skills. This does not mean technology has no place in education. But it does mean the assumption that more screens automatically lead to better outcomes is no longer supported by the data. The question now is not whether technology belongs in schools. It is whether we have been using it in ways that are undermining the very minds we are trying to develop.