Stop Blaming Technology for Students’ Struggles

In a recent Chicago Tribune opinion piece, the writer argues that technology is making children “less resilient” and dependent on digital comfort. Their argument suggests screens are the enemy, kids are the victims, and the solution is simply to unplug. But many parents and educators in Glendale, Arizona say blaming technology is the easy way out. The real issue is that schools have not adapted to the rising number of students with ADHD and other learning differences. Technology didn’t create this learning crisis, it just revealed how unprepared our education systems are.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in nine children in the United States has been diagnosed with ADHD, a figure that has increased in recent years. That means every classroom likely includes multiple students who process information differently and require support to stay engaged and on track. Yet most schools are still set up in a traditional model built decades ago—long before smartphones, tablets and the pressures that children face today.

The Tribune piece claims technology makes kids emotionally weaker. But conversations with parents and educators suggest the opposite. Many children rely on digital tools to stay organized, regulate emotions and complete assignments in ways that match their learning style. Removing technology does not fix the challenges they face. It simply removes one of the few tools that help them cope.

Parent and instructional assistant Erica Camacho describes raising a child with ADHD while working in a school setting, this way: “What works one day, may not work the other. You need different tools available all the time because you never know what will work from day to day.” Her experience is not unique throughout Glendale schools. Families of neurodivergent children constantly adjust routines and strategies, while advocating for support systems that often do not exist or are difficult to access.

Public conversations continue to target technology instead of addressing the real gaps in our schools. It is easier to blame TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media than admit that classrooms are overcrowded, special education staff are stretched thin, and teachers have little training in neurodiversity. When kids struggle to sit still during a 45-minute lecture, that is not a failure of resilience. When they shut down in a noisy classroom, that is not caused by screen use. When they lose focus after five minutes, more discipline is not the solution. These are not technology problems; they are unmet-needs problems.

Technology can make learning harder for some children, but for many, it plays an essential role in helping them stay focused and organized. Timers, reading supports, typing tools, educational apps and noise-canceling headphones allow students to succeed in ways that traditional pen-and-paper environments do not. Blaming screens without acknowledging how they support neurodivergent learners ignores a large part of the picture.

Classrooms today are bigger, louder and more demanding than they were a generation ago. Teachers today balance academic standards with behavioral needs and mental-health needs—often with fewer resources than before the pandemic. When narratives focus on screens alone, districts may feel less pressure to fund paraprofessionals, interventionists, counselors and specialists.

Oversimplified arguments have consequences. When people believe technology is the root of the problem, they may overlook the structural changes schools desperately need. Parents of neurodivergent children may feel judged instead of supported. And students who already feel different may be labeled “addicted” or “unmotivated” instead of recognized as learners whose brains work differently.

The Chicago Tribune piece raises valid concerns about how children use technology, but it misses the larger truth. Kids are not “less resilient.” Many are navigating more academic pressure, more social complexity and more sensory overload than previous generations. They are trying to succeed in schools that are often not built for them.