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We all know that too much screen time hurts us
For Lent this year, my wife and I have given up using screens, with the obvious exception for work-related screen time. We did this because we thought it would provide us with a better head space to enter into the Lenten season. But maybe even more importantly, we have noticed that in our struggle against the immense control modern technology has seized in our lives, we have found the pull to screens almost insurmountable. We want this Lent to help us get beyond that pull.
I imagine that many, if not most, of our readers have a lot to say about the topic of “the evils of screens,” especially regarding children’s screen time. Allow me to add to the cacophony of voices advocating for the removal of screens not only from the hands of all young children, but also from schools altogether.
Before jumping into the deleterious effects of screen usage, I want to mention one thing: giving your kid a device when he or she wasn’t ready for it does not make you a bad parent or a bad person. There’s a definite tension—do I want my child to be part of this group chat in middle school, or do I want him or her to be shunned? All of us are trying to do the best we can to navigate the very complex changes in our society, and the right decision isn’t always obvious. At TOBET, we don’t want to condemn; we want to help pave the path forward.
We know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that screen time has adverse effects on our bodies and on childhood development. A 2025 study published in the journal Children surveyed 46 studies between 2014-2024 and confirmed the numerous adverse effects screen time can have on young children.1 While the study does make room for potential positive effects that controlled usage of screens can have, this comes only after listing “reduced physical activity, poorer sleep, attention difficulties, and challenges in emotional and social functioning” as just some of the notable side-effects. We have very clear, data-backed evidence that shows the potential harm of these devices. Beyond this, we have all experienced some anecdotal evidence in our lives. Put frankly, we often find children who have overused screens very difficult to deal with. They act like addicts when it comes to stimulation, and if their parents don’t hand them their drug, they often throw absolute tantrums. We all know about these issues, so why, then, do we still put iPads in kindergarten classrooms?
We have fallen victim to the myth that we need technology like this in classrooms. I have far too often heard the line, ‘If children don’t learn how to use computers at an early age, they will fall behind in the workforce.’ I have two issues with this sentiment. First, since when do we as Christians place such high value on material success? Is that really the standard by which we should judge choices made on behalf of our children? Shouldn’t we concern ourselves first with the spiritual effects of something? Secondly, the claim is self-evidently false. The people that got us to the moon all learned how to use computers as adults. Most of the workforce in place today grew up without modern technology. Only the very youngest people entering the workforce had technology from a young age. For reference, I, as a twenty-seven-year-old, did not have technology in my schooling until I reached high school. While some of the oldest of our workforce do struggle with newer technology, most everyone still working has sufficient tech-literacy to maintain their careers. Everyone telling us we need technology in schools adapted to technology just fine without using it in their own schooling.
Some schools have begun to remove technology altogether. The public charter school, Great Hearts, springs to mind as a great example of a successful screen-free school. When my wife and I, hopefully soon, have children (please pray for us!), we want to send them to a school that has rejected the myth that our children need a computer to learn. We want to send them to a school that recognizes that the body matters.
All photos are either sourced by the author, or from Wikimedia Commons in their public domain section unless otherwise marked. If you have any questions about copyright, please contact 888-855-4791.
Remember when schools functioned just fine without computers or tablets?
Chris Tarantino is the Communications Director for TOBET. He studied History at The University at Texas A&M and has written for the Tennessee Register and Nashville Catholic.
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