FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Once heralded as a revolutionary device in education, some schools in Northern Virginia are taking steps to limit the time kids spend on tablets and smartphones.
On Thursday night, the Fairfax County School Board unanimously passed a resolution acknowledging the harm extensive time on tablets or smart phones can do, and opening a path toward measures that would curb their use.
The vote arrives on the heels of months of discussion about restricting mobile devices and social media in the district.
RELATED: Fairfax County school board debates stricter cellphone policy after new law
“I mean, we’ve known for years, for years there have been books, studies, countless writing about the poison that is social media, that is screens, the impact on young children, the impact on teenagers in terms of mental health, anxiety, etc. So I think the answers are readily out there,” said Mateo Dunne, Mount Vernon district representative.
Without specifying what guidelines the district or administrators might establish, the resolution asserts the primacy of human relationships in education, calling it a “human-centered endeavor.”
While re-asserting the value of technology in education, the resolution underscores the risk.
The resolution concludes:
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County School Board supports the development of policies and regulations that meet the educational, social, and emotional needs of FCPS students and should include elements such as limitations on screen time and device access by grade level, opt-out options for families, and a digital citizenship and literacy plan.
Experts say protracted exposure to screens and social media can damage children’s mental health, or hamper their education.
“A ton of these parents and increasingly kids as well point to screen time and internet use as an obstacle to learning rather than an asset. The association between, uh, I’m sorry, clinically I focus much of my practice on mental health care, and I see more and more children with ADHD, mood disorders, and emotional dysregulation each year. These struggling kids are slowly becoming the norm rather than cautionary outliers, and internet and tech use is certainly a contributor.”
To stream WUSA9 on your phone, you need the WUSA9 app.
Download the WUSA9 app
