The genesis of educational technology commonly referred to as “EdTech” can be traced to the pandemic of 2020. Social distancing protocols had forced schools to close down, and teaching was shifted from in-person to online mode, with children brandishing handheld screens. Parents accepted this as a temporary emergency measure which was to ensure continuity of academic pursuits during the pandemic. The situation changed, schools reopened, but the screens didn’t close. The schools had already signed long-term contracts with technology companies, granting them a permanent place inside the classroom.

The business model behind this shift seems familiar. It is the same model used by social media and smartphone apps: draw users’ attention, collect users’ data, and generate revenue from both. Educational apps adjust to streaks and daily rewards through constant notifications as they appear in social media apps, resulting in increased engagement. Engagement and not learning outcomes is the desired revenue stream for the companies selling these products to schools. Some of these features have already been restricted on other platforms after being judged harmful for children, yet they continue to appear in products being marketed as educational.

Researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, one of Europe’s top research institutions for medicine and life sciences, reviewed the evidence and concluded that digital tools were more likely to impair learning than support it.

Researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, one of Europe’s top research institutions for medicine and life sciences, reviewed the evidence and concluded that digital tools were more likely to impair learning than support it.

Evidence from studies in developed countries on........

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