Parental Backlash against Students Using Devices in Public Schools (Natasha Singer)

“Natasha Singer is a reporter for the New York Times who writes about how tech companies, digital devices and apps are reshaping childhood, education and job opportunities.” This article appeared April 29, 2026. Los Angeles parents are fed up with schools loading up students with laptops and tablets, and assigning schoolwork on a slew of apps. Some families, who had decided against giving their children screens at home, told school board members that they were appalled to find young students using school-issued devices — even in kindergarten. Some parents complained that their children were able to play video games or watch social media videos during school. Others reported that an A.I. app, which fourth graders were assigned to use to create portraits of the fictional Swedish schoolgirl Pippi Longstocking, generated sexualized imagery. Such concerns prompted parents last year to form a group called Schools Beyond Screens to push for increased technology oversight in the Los Angeles…