Stop Blaming Technology for Students’ Struggles

In a recent Chicago Tribune opinion piece, the writer argues that technology is making children “less resilient” and increasingly dependent on digital comfort. The argument suggests screens are the problem, children are the victims, and the solution is simply to unplug. However, conversations with parents and educators in Glendale, Arizona point to a different reality. Technology is not creating these challenges—it is revealing long-standing gaps in how schools support students, particularly those with ADHD and other learning differences.

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 steadily increased in recent years. This means that most classrooms include multiple students who process information differently and require flexible support. Despite this, many schools continue to rely on traditional teaching models developed decades ago—long before the rise of digital tools and the changing needs of today’s students.

The Tribune article claims that technology weakens children emotionally. However, interviews with local parents and educators suggest a more complex reality. For many students, technology serves as a tool for organization, focus, and emotional regulation. Removing it does not solve underlying challenges—it often removes one of the few supports available.

Parent and instructional assistant Erica Camacho, who both works in a school and raises a child with ADHD, describes the unpredictability of daily routines...

She explains that flexibility is essential, not optional, for students who experience learning differences. In her experience, digital tools such as timers, structured apps, and adaptive learning platforms help her child stay engaged in ways that traditional methods often cannot.

Her perspective reflects a broader pattern among families in Glendale. Many parents of neurodivergent children describe constantly adjusting strategies while navigating limited school support. These experiences highlight a larger issue: students are not failing because of technology—they are struggling within systems that have not adapted to meet their need

s.Public conversations often focus on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat instead of addressing structural issues in education. It is easier to blame screens than to acknowledge overcrowded classrooms, limited special education resources, and gaps in teacher training around neurodiversity. When students struggle to focus during long lectures, become overwhelmed in noisy environments, or disengage from traditional instruction, these are not simply behavioral issues. They are indicators of unmet needs.

Technology can present challenges, but it also provides critical support. Tools such as speech-to-text programs, reading assistance software, organizational apps, and noise-canceling headphones help many students succeed. Ignoring these benefits oversimplifies the issue and overlooks how essential these tools have become for neurodivergent learners.

Teachers today are balancing academic expectations with increased behavioral and mental health needs, often with limited resources. When discussions focus solely on screen time, it reduces pressure on institutions to invest in meaningful support systems such as paraprofessionals, counselors, and specialized instruction.

Oversimplified narratives have real consequences. When technology is framed as the root problem, it shifts attention away from systemic change. It can also stigmatize students who rely on these tools, labeling them as distracted or unmotivated rather than recognizing their different learning needs.

The Chicago Tribune article raises valid concerns about how children interact with technology, but it misses a critical point. Today’s students are navigating more complex academic and social environments than previous generations. Technology did not create these challenges—it exposed them. The real issue is not whether students are becoming less resilient, but whether educational systems are evolving to support them.