Researchers and child advocacy leaders urge governments to focus on quality screen use, not screen time, in schools
More than 120 leading Australian experts and organisations are urging governments to shift the debate from screen time to screen use in schools, warning that blanket restrictions risk undermining learning, digital literacy and educational equity.
The call comes in a Position Statement led by University of Wollongong (UOW) researchers Dr Karley Beckman and Associate Professor Tiffani Apps from the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child and developed with the Alannah & Madeline Foundation.
The statement, provided to state and federal education ministers, calls for evidence-based policy decisions on how digital technologies can best support learning. It follows recent debate about the use of digital devices in schools and an online petition calling for device-free primary schools that has passed 27,000 signatures.
The researchers acknowledge concerns about screen use are valid but argue the screentime guidelines used to justify restrictions were not designed for schools. Current screen-time thresholds trace back to 1990s advice for toddlers and television and neither the World Health Organisation nor Australia’s 24-hour movement guidelines set a limit on learning-related screen use for children over five.
Dr Beckman says the focus on limiting screen time is too blunt.
“The conversation right now is about screen time, but what actually matters for learning isn’t how many minutes a student spends looking at a screen but what they’re doing with it, why, and with whom,” Dr Beckman said. “A blanket time limit risks taking away one of the only places some students get to build digital skills they’ll need for the rest of their lives.”
Australia recently recorded its lowest levels of digital literacy in 15 years, with the gap wider for children from diverse backgrounds and geographical locations. Blanket restrictions could most affect students with the least access to digital technology at home, an equity issue largely missing from the debate.
“Restricting high-quality digital learning delays the development of essential digital skills and capabilities. Rather than addressing concerns about technology use, it postpones them and reduces opportunities to learn how to use technology safely and productively,” Dr Beckman said.
Associate Professor Apps said this is not a conversation about screens but about quality.
“Nobody’s arguing that kids should be on devices all day, every day. The real questions are about the quality of education technologies we use in our schools, how we teach students to use these tools well and how we support teachers to meet students’ learning needs, interests and motivations,” Associate Professor Apps said.
The Position Statement points to existing commitments to digital literacy in Australia’s national education goals, the national curriculum and professional teaching standards, and emphasises children’s rights to be protected from, and participate in, digital and online spaces.
Instead of time limits, the statement recommends an evidence-informed, consultative approach that evaluates the quality of educational technology, backs teachers’ professional judgement and invests in digital and media literacy education for all students.
The full Position Statement has been published online following its distribution to education ministers.
