Mackenzie Biringer has four children, two of whom attend elementary school in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
During school one day, a classmate of one of her daughters, using a school-issued device, asked the Siri virtual assistant about a viral female internet character with a grotesque face that encourages children to harm themselves and not tell their parents. The image of the character so terrified her daughter that she could not sleep well later that night.
“Every kid in the classroom had access to an iPad where they were free, even during class time, during recess time, to even just ask Siri, they didn’t even have to type it in,” Biringer told Noozhawk.
“Anything can pop up. YouTube pops up. I think we can all agree that in the classroom we want our children to feel safe. That was very concerning to me that my child did not feel safe in the classroom.”
Biringer is part of a group, TechWise SB, that has successfully appealed to the district to make swift changes to its educational technology policies.
In just a few weeks time, the group of parents, pediatricians, psychologists and child advocates convinced district officials to remove iPads among K-3 students a week early in May and sparked a larger debate about the role of technology, apps and screen time among the youngest schoolchildren.
“Collecting iPads from our youngest students is a direct product of ongoing dialogue between the district and TechWise,” said Rose Muñoz, the school board president.
“This is how we want to work with our community, and it is going to help us as we look to make permanent adjustments to technology in the classroom.”
In April, TechWise SB called on the district to halt the distribution of take-home iPads for students in second grade and under, block YouTube access on elementary campuses and provide parents with training on how to avoid excessive screen time. The organization submitted a letter to the district with more than 200 signatures in support of the effort.
Devices were distributed to young students during the COVID-19 pandemic, but TechWise SB says the district needs to rethink that policy because students are accessing their iPads excessively, rather than socializing, exercising or just playing.
TechWise SB members took that message to trustees during a regular board meeting and then continued their efforts through emails to the board and district officials. The district listened and began removing devices from K-3 students soon afterward.
The district has since removed all of the devices from kindergarten classrooms, and first- through third-graders no longer have 1:1 devices that automatically go back and forth from home to school.
Going forward, devices will be used only in first- through third-grade classrooms although parents can request to check out the devices to take home. The district also agreed to create a task force to focus on the issue.
Melissa Quigley, one of the founders of TechWise SB and a district school psychologist, told Noozhawk that progress has been made but more work is necessary.
“It does seem that the district is listening to the concerns and suggestions brought up by TechWise, and I am hopeful there will be a strong spirit of collaboration moving forward,” she said.
TechWise SB says the district told members that it will continue to discuss the issue of children and technology over the summer.
“We hope for more clarity, at least one task force meeting, changes to YouTube access for elementary school kids, and an outline by the end of the summer and before kids return to school,” Quigley said.
Parents are still applying pressure.
At the June 14 meeting, Dr. Dale Tylor raised concerns about the sound levels on the devices and asked the district to limit loud-sound exposure.
Casual conversation is about 60 decibels, the otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon said, and the top setting on most Apple products is 102 decibels.
About one in three people ages 12-19 suffer from hearling loss, Tylor said, adding that most young people listen to their MP3 players at maximum volume.
“If children are to be given products specifically that result in excessive noise exposure from a school system, then all appropriate safeguards should be taken with the settings on the devices and by specifically teaching to the children and their parents so a generation of children will not be suffering from preventable hearing loss,” Tylor said.
She noted that the devices have a “headphone safety” option that can be adjusted to limit the maximum sound.
Dr. Kristen Hughes, a local pediatrician, said she recently treated a child who was tired, sad and obese — the opposite of how she was before the COVID-19 pandemic. She said her patient had a fatty liver and other health problems, and that she was spending several hours a day on her school-issued iPad.
Hughes noted that TechWise SB had not yet received any information from the district about the classroom technology task force.
“There’s so much to do, and if we want to make appreciable differences before the students return in the fall, we need to start working on it now,” she said. “We want these changes to be thoughtful and made with expert guidance.”
TechWise has formed a book club that will meet at 9 a.m. Aug. 13 at Alameda Park near the Kid’s World playground. They are reading Screen Schooled by veteran teachers Joe Clement and Matt Miles, who “expose how technology overuse is making our kids dumber.”
Quigley remains optimistic that the district will continue to listen and be a leader in ensuring that “technology is healthy and safe for our children.”
“There are so many invested individuals, including medical doctors, parents and other professionals who want to be part of the change,” she said. “We remain hopeful that our voices will be heard.”
School board member Virginia Alvarez said she appreciates TechWise SB speaking out.
“The use of technology should be intentional, well planned, limited and without compromising student interactions,” she said. “Students need to learn to use today’s educational tools and technology as an education tool.
“However, unlike the other education tools, such as a ruler or pencil, access to the internet must either be blocked or closely monitored, as well as having safety measures in place such as a strong firewall, restricted settings and other safety precautions.”
(Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina video)
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.