Senior members of the New York City Council on Tuesday advocated for stronger restrictions on the use of technology in public schools, voicing concerns about the growing presence of digital devices in classrooms. Their call for action comes shortly after the city’s Department of Education (DOE) introduced measures to limit technology usage that council members say do not go far enough.

The council members emphasized the need to sharply reduce or eliminate devices such as laptops and tablets for younger students, particularly those below middle school age. They also urged a return to more traditional educational tools, including handwritten work and paper textbooks. Eric Dinowitz, chair of the Council’s Committee on Education, specifically called for the removal of video-game-style instructional applications, citing complaints from parents that these apps can become addictive and often promote subscription services.

“This is really damaging, much in the same way as social media,” Dinowitz said during a joint hearing of the education and oversight committees.

Speakers at the hearing described technology as deeply embedded in classroom instruction since the pandemic, potentially hampering the development of social skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities among elementary school students. Some council members linked the heavy reliance on digital tools to significant declines in reading test scores, and observed that it conflicts with many families’ desires to limit children’s screen time at home.

“Parents, teachers and advocates are rightly concerned that the use of ed-tech products in our schools has become obsessive and is distracting students from having to learn,” said Shekar Krishnan, a council member representing Queens.

The push for tighter controls reflects growing apprehension in New York City—home to the largest school system in the nation—over the rapid adoption of technology following the shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar concerns have been voiced nationally as districts have recently begun incorporating artificial intelligence tools into instruction.

Department of Education officials acknowledged the worries surrounding unchecked technology use and its possible negative impact on student outcomes. Danielle Giunta, the DOE’s first deputy chancellor, said the department is committed to eliminating ineffective tools and has recently blocked access to YouTube on school-issued devices. She confirmed that certain video-game-style apps would be removed under the city’s updated technology policy.

Giunta noted that technology usage surged after students returned to in-person instruction, a shift educators had not anticipated. “We thought we were sending our children back and that our laptops would close,” she said. “We do need to look at it, slow it down and study it better.”

The DOE’s current policies, effective this school year, already include restrictions on artificial intelligence and screen time that limit individual device use to 30 minutes per day for elementary students and 45 minutes for middle schoolers. High school students have more latitude to use devices and A.I. tools for brief periods daily. Nearly 40 instructional A.I. applications previously available to students have been disabled, and companion chatbots intended for emotional or mental support are banned at all grade levels.

Exceptions to these rules exist for certain assessments and services supporting students with disabilities, some of whom rely on A.I. tools for communication.

Until now, principals and teachers at the city’s approximately 1,600 schools have determined their own technology guidelines. The DOE indicated that the new district-wide rules will remain in place for at least one year before being reviewed or potentially revised.