It Is a Mistake to Ban Devices in Schools (Richard Culatta)

Richard Culatta, CEO of ISTE+ASCD, one of the largest education organizations in the country, and former director of educational technology at the U.S. Department of Education. He believes that banning devices as Natasha Singer described in previous post, is mistaken. His article appeared April 20, 2026 in 74. When it comes to tech and kids, America has made serious mistakes. For years, children have been allowed unsupervised access to social media apps in school and at home that were not designed with their safety in mind. This has contributed to an unprecedented rise in adolescent anxiety, depression, cyberbullying and suicide. Americans have every reason to be concerned — and every reason to act. Responsible legislation could limit the dangers by requiring age verification before kids can sign up for social media accounts, making learning content easier to access and demanding that cellphone providers provide safety tools for families. Instead, a huge wave of poorly constructed…