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Screen Timeout
Why the screen time debate misses the real classroom problem
When students are engaged, screens become tools. When they are bored, screens are an escape.
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The key issue for schools is not whether students spend too much time staring at screens but whether they are engaged or not.
PHOTO: ST FILE
John Wang
Few issues spark as much anxiety among parents and educators today as screen time. From tablets in primary schools to laptops in secondary classrooms, the worry is that students are spending too many hours staring at screens – distracted, passive, and disengaged. Policies are debated, limits imposed, and devices blamed for everything from poor attention spans to declining academic performance.
But what if the screen time debate is missing the real issue?
