As children across New York State prepare to head back to school, families are checking off the usual list: new sneakers, backpacks, notebooks, lunch boxes and, increasingly, an electronic device. As we prepare our children to return to the classroom, we should be asking a different question: “How much technology do our children need to learn?”

This is not a new conversation for WCA.

In 2024, WCA’s Fall Advocacy Breakfast, “Mind Over Media: Youth Mental Health in the Digital Age,” brought parents, educators, community leaders and child advocates together to examine how technology and social media are affecting young people’s mental health.

The conversation challenged us to think beyond whether technology is “good” or “bad” and instead consider whether we are creating healthy environments for children to learn, connect and grow.

Two years later, that conversation remains just as relevant.

The proposed Fostering Optimal Classroom Uses of Screens, or FOCUS Act (S10685), would place limits on the use of school-issued devices, particularly for younger students, while giving families the option to choose non-digital alternatives when technology is not necessary for an assignment. The bill also calls for stronger media literacy and education around responsible and healthy technology use, recognizing that children need both access to technology and the skills to use it thoughtfully.

This does not mean technology has no place in the classroom. It means we must be thoughtful about the place it does have. Technology can be a powerful tool for learning, but it cannot replace everything a child needs.

Children need books and conversations. They need hands-on experiences, creativity, movement and play. They need opportunities to collaborate, make mistakes, solve problems and build relationships face-to-face.

They need to know how to use technology, and they also need to know when to put it down.

As we send our children back to school this fall, the FOCUS Act gives us an opportunity to ask an important question: “Are we using technology to support childhood, or are we allowing technology to shape it?”

At WCA, we believe technology should support children’s learning and well-being, not replace the experiences that help them learn, connect, and grow. Our children only get one childhood. Let’s make sure there is still room to simply be kids!