Why a low-tech approach to education is important in today’s world
Over the past decade, technology has saturated our education system. The 1:1 device model – once heralded as a breakthrough – has become the norm. A multi-billion-pound industry emerged almost overnight, selling the promise of heightened engagement, future-ready skills, and access to vast information. But has it delivered?
In short, no.
While there have been undeniable benefits, recent global research reveals a growing list of drawbacks. Today’s students are overstimulated, less inquisitive, and increasingly struggle to concentrate for sustained periods. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum identifies analytical thinking, creativity, resilience, motivation, and curiosity as the top skills required in tomorrow’s workforce. 1 Have we taken a misstep with our education system? It would seem so.
At their core, children are eager to learn, grow, and succeed. Our challenge is to support this in ways that develop resilience, creativity, collaboration, and self-awareness – traits that flourish best through purposeful interaction, not passive consumption.
In a world flooded with smartphones, cultivating focus and real-world engagement may seem near impossible. But countries like Portugal have shown it can be done. After implementing a smartphone ban for 6–12 year-olds, participating schools saw bullying drop by 59% and disruptive behaviour fall by 57%. Face-to-face interaction, engagement, and student wellbeing all improved.2 This brings us back to the age-old adage, ‘happy children learn’. With that freedom to concentrate and think, we find our space to grow and succeed.
The UK is beginning to respond. In St Albans, a group of schools introduced smartphone bans before Year 9, aiming to boost behaviour, wellbeing, engagement, and – somewhat ironically – communication.
These are not anti-technology stances; rather, they are calls for balance. Yes, students must learn to navigate AI, software, and digital platforms. But we must also ask: at what point does technology stop supporting learning and start undermining it?
Programs such as ‘Times Tables Rock Stars’ have supported learning in measurable ways. But when technology use becomes excessive or unfocused, the impact can be detrimental.
A 2023 meta-analysis of 81,000 children found a 51% increase in ADHD symptoms among those using screens for more than two hours a day.3 Studies remain unclear on the differentiation between symptomatic increase and diagnostic increase, but at the core of the research is a tremendous neurological impact on the minds of young children.
Sweden, once a leader in 1:1 device rollouts, is now reversing course. The prestigious Karolinska Institute recently concluded that “digital tools impair rather than enhance” student learning. In response, Sweden is reintroducing books and handwriting in younger year groups.4 This move aligns with a 2024 study by Van Der Weel and Van der Meer5, which found handwriting stimulates a larger, more complex neural network – resulting in deeper cognitive development and better academic performance.
Reading is another casualty of digital saturation. In her pioneering research, Maryanne Wolf demonstrated that students who read physical books are far superior in reconstructing plot, retaining detail, and understanding narrative flow compared to their screen-reading peers. Screens promote skimming and scrolling – not deep, sustained reading.6
Perhaps most alarmingly, a marked decline in empathy has been observed among young people over the past two decades, as they move towards speed and multitasking, and away from ‘deep reading processes’ which are essential to develop cognitive skills reliant on them. 7 As screen time displaces time spent reading fiction, the brain’s somatosensory cortex, the region responsible for experiencing others’ emotions, is less stimulated. This means children are not only struggling to understand complex texts but also struggling to understand one another.
If we continue in this direction, classic literature may become inaccessible to future generations – not because it disappears, but because the cognitive stamina required to read it fades away.
Let’s return to the heart of the matter: children want to learn, to grow, and to thrive. The question is not whether technology should be present in schools, but how, when, and why it is used.
Yes, students must be digitally literate. They must understand AI’s power and its limitations, and they must be taught to navigate the online world safely. But they also need experiences that fire motor neurons, develop fine motor skills, and foster long-term retention – things that only books, handwriting, and tactile learning can provide.
Traditional does not mean outdated. In fact, the latest neuroscience confirms that methods like pen and paper, reading print, and face-to-face discussion support deeper learning than we ever imagined. A decade ago, we didn’t have this data. We do now.
So yes – use technology. But use it purposefully. Set limits. Provide balance. And above all, protect the space where curiosity, imagination, and authentic human connection can flourish.
Because what the world needs now is not faster learners – it’s creative ones.
Noeleen Corrigan, Deputy Head