Ban screens in preschool and kindergarten? MN lawmakers hold hearing on proposed bill

MN lawmakers hold hearing on banning screens in schools

The Minnesota House of Representatives Education Policy Committee held a hearing on a bill that would ban preschool and kindergarten students from individual-use screens while at a school site.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A proposed bill would ban preschool and kindergarten students from "individual-use screens" while on public school grounds. 

Bill to ban screens for preschool and kindergarten students

What they're saying:

One of the bill's authors, Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura (DFL-South Minneapolis), called the bill a "conversation starter" on how screen time impacts the state's youngest learners. 

Sencer-Mura references the "robust" conversation around cell phones in schools and believes it is time to address how screen time, even if it is directed by a teacher, impacts students at all grade levels.

"I wanted to start with just our youngest learners, because I think the evidence is there that they are the ones that are most negatively impacted by screen time," Rep. Sencer-Mura said. 

Katherine Myer, a former English teacher who co-founded the nonprofit LiveMore ScreenLess, referred to research that shows high screen use in preschoolers can limit growth and development areas of the brain that are responsible for attention, memory, and social skills. She adds that children who use screens to calm themselves can later have difficulty managing emotions. 

"Trained educators understand child development and what screen time might be replacing," Myer said. "Technology skills can be acquired quickly, later in one's education. What young children cannot get back are the early years meant for play, curiosity, conversation, and real world exploration. Protecting these formative years is essential for healthy development."

Sencer-Mura added that parents who don't want any screen time for their children don't have any options in the current public school system. 

The other side:

Executive Director of Technology at Minnetonka Public Schools Amanda Fay, who also worked as an English teacher, believes the current laws already address concerns over unsupervised use of technology in schools. 

"A blanket ban of technology use for our youngest learners would remove the ability of our state's teachers to make professional decisions about the best tools for their students at any given time," Fay said. "And it would remove local school boards' abilities to meet the needs and wants of the constituents of their school districts. Please consider how important it is to trust our teachers. Please keep these decisions at the local level."

Fay added that removing such tools from classrooms would force teachers back to time-consuming methods and create an accessibility barrier for students who rely on tools like closed captioning and screen magnification. 

Dig deeper:

The full summary of Minnesota House Bill HF3776 can be viewed below: