Almost 3 in 4 teachers want screen time limits in schools: Gallup

A new Gallup poll highlights teachers’ mixed feelings toward devices in schools, but ultimately most say they would like to see some limits on how much screen time students receive in classrooms.

Seventy-three percent of teachers say they strongly or somewhat support setting a maximum amount of time a student can spend using devices to learn in school. Almost 90 percent support clearly defined exceptions towards screen time rules such as for those who use technology due to a disability.

The backlash has become so great that two-thirds of teachers say they want device-based classes to be paper-based.

However, in the same survey, teachers recognize the difficulty of this task, especially as the workforce becomes more technology based and students are introduced to screens and technology at younger ages.

Around 59 percent of educators say digital tools help students learn more effectively, but 61 percent say students should spend less time on devices and 52 percent says devices do as much good as harm, according to Gallup.

The approach to devices in the classroom varies widely among school districts, with some putting bans on cell phones all day and having students lock them away in a pouch while others are giving out individual iPads or Chromebooks for students to have on them at all times.

While guidance and recommendations for AI and technology use have come from states and the federal government, it is largely up to local schools to decide how to handle technology in classrooms.

The Gallup poll was conducted between May 6 and May 29 and surveyed 2,101 teachers working in public K-12 schools. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.