Why Kids Need Less Screen Time and More Real Interaction Today

The Screens Are Taking Over

It’s impossible not to notice how much screens have taken over kids’ lives. Walk through a school hallway and you’ll see students staring at phones between every class. Sit in a restaurant and you’ll see kids scrolling while their parents talk over them. Even during group assignments, someone always tries to do everything through a device.

Special Osborne says this shift is starting to have real consequences. Not just for attention spans, but for learning, social skills, and how kids see the world. He believes screens can be helpful, but only if they’re used the right way — and right now, they’re being used way too much.

Teachers Can Feel the Difference

If you talk to teachers today, most will tell you the same thing: kids don’t focus the way they used to. Osborne has heard it from teachers in small schools, big schools, public and private — it’s the same everywhere. Kids jump from thought to thought too quickly. They check out mentally the second they get bored, even if it’s for only a few seconds.

It’s not the teachers’ fault. It’s not the kids’ fault either. Screens are built to move fast. Bright colors, quick videos, endless scrolling. It’s designed to grab attention and never let go. But real learning doesn’t work that way. Real learning takes time, patience, and concentration — three things that screens slowly take away.

That’s why teachers feel like they’re losing the battle. They’re competing with apps made by billion-dollar companies whose only goal is to keep kids staring.

Conversations Are Getting Harder for Kids

Another thing Osborne points out is how awkward kids have become at simple conversations. They don’t look people in the eye as much. They struggle to speak up in class. They’re more comfortable messaging online than talking out loud.

It’s not because they’re shy — it’s because they’re out of practice. Kids used to talk to each other all day. Now so many of their interactions happen through screens that they’re losing the natural rhythm of in-person communication.

Osborne says this shows up most in group work. Instead of talking things out, many students try to handle everything silently on their phones. They miss the teamwork and discussion that are supposed to happen in a classroom. When kids disconnect from real conversations, they disconnect from real learning too.

Screens Don’t Teach Emotional Skills

Osborne believes one of the biggest problems isn’t academic — it’s emotional. Screens don’t teach patience, empathy, or understanding. A child can spend hours online without ever learning how to read someone’s facial expression or tone of voice.

When kids are glued to screens, they lose chances to build emotional intelligence. They get frustrated more easily. They avoid uncomfortable conversations. They have a harder time resolving problems face-to-face because they’re used to the “block,” “mute,” or “ignore” options that don’t exist in the real world.

These are skills students need long after they leave school. And they’re slipping away.

Real Interaction Makes Learning Stronger

Osborne isn’t against technology. He knows kids need it. But he believes strongly that it can’t replace the classroom experience. A teacher can adjust their voice, explain something again, or notice when a student seems confused. A screen can’t do any of that.

When kids talk things out, ask questions, debate ideas, or work together, they learn better. It sticks with them. They remember experiences, not screens. That’s why Osborne says the best lessons usually happen during a real conversation or a hands-on activity — not during another hour on a tablet.

Parents Have a Role Too

Teachers can only control so much. Osborne says parents need to help at home by creating limits and encouraging kids to spend time away from screens. That might mean more family conversations, more outdoor time, or simply having kids put their phones away during dinner.

Kids copy what they see. If adults talk more, engage more, and use screens less, students naturally follow.

Finding a Better Balance

Screens aren’t going away. They’re part of life now. Osborne doesn’t think the goal should be removing them — the goal is balance. Enough technology to help students, but not so much that it replaces real interaction.

Kids need to look up. They need to talk. They need to listen. And they need to be kids, not small adults glued to glowing rectangles all day.

Osborne believes that if parents and teachers work together, students can learn how to use technology without letting it take over their lives. And in the long run, that balance will help them grow into more confident, capable adults.