Screen limits need digital investment |
Waymond Jackson Jr., head of Alabama nonprofit Ed Farm, is urging policymakers to balance concerns about student screen time with greater investment in digital access and technology education, arguing that millions of students risk being left behind in an increasingly digital workforce. While lawmakers across the U.S. consider restrictions on smartphone and social media use in schools, Jackson says many students still lack reliable internet access, computers, and opportunities to develop critical digital skills, noting that roughly one-third of U.S. workers lack basic digital literacy even though most jobs now require it. argues that schools should expand access to hands-on technology education, including coding, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital media, rather than treating technology primarily as a distraction. Citing examples of technology-focused learning spaces in Alabama schools, he calls for greater state and federal investment in digital infrastructure, educator training, and classroom technology, warning that students without meaningful access to these tools will be disadvantaged in higher education and the modern workforce.
