How much classroom tech is too much?

A student sits at her desk, poised to open her textbook or tap on her tablet. Which action leads to better learning? The traditional textbook brings order and ensures that every student follows the same learning path. A learning app on a tablet offers a more personalized and interactive option. It seems like a simple choice, but it reflects a deeper dilemma facing schools today—how should technology be used in the classrooms so that it genuinely improves learning, especially in secondary schools and below? 

A muddled debate: not all tech is equal

Thus far, the conversation about technology in schools is oversimplified: screens in or screens out. But it’s not that simple. Lucas Gortázar, Associate Director of Research at Esade EcPol, argues in El País that the debate mixes too many different factors—age groups, devices, and educational purposes—into one confusing discussion. 

“We need to deconstruct the question and bring some order,” says Gortázar. “The debate over ‘screens in’ or ‘screens out’ doesn’t really improve education.” 

The goal is not to demonize technology in education, but to avoid its uncritical adoption and understand its real impact

Smartphones, tablets, and artificial intelligence are different tools with different pros and cons. How they affect learning depends on how they’re used, who uses them, and for what purpose. Some technologies are obviously helpful, while others are harmful, and in many cases, the evidence is mixed.  

Phones in schools? The science says ‘no’ 

One area where the research is clearer concerns mobile phones. Studies in multiple countries show that smartphone bans in schools can lead to measurable improvements in both academic performance and student well-being. 

In Norway, a national ban introduced in 2016 meant that researchers could track outcomes in more than 1,000 schools. The results were significant: visits to psychologists dropped by 60 percent, and mental health treatments decreased by nearly 30 percent among girls. For girls, bullying incidents also declined and math scores improved, as did the likelihood of continuing upper-secondary education. Girls from lower socioeconomic backgrounds saw the biggest benefits. The stricter the enforcement—phones collected at the school entrance rather than simply silenced—the stronger the results. 

In England, bans in 91 schools across four cities resulted in improved learning outcomes, especially for students who often struggled. A Spanish study in Galicia and Castilla-La Mancha found higher test scores and a 10–20 percent reduction in bullying when phones were disallowed. 

“The stricter the enforcement, the better the outcomes,” writes Gortázar in support of targeted mobile phone bans in secondary schools. 

Tablets and textbooks: a pricey pairing 

If students use tablets, do they even need textbooks? It’s complicated. Textbooks, arguably a former technology, are costly for parents to buy each year. Spanish families bought almost 40 million copies in 2023, spending on average €161 per child in public schools and €306 in private ones. Parents’ associations argue the real figure is closer to €500, including the cost of tablets and other digital materials. 

Does such a hefty expenditure make sense? Plenty of manuals go unused through the school year, and the combination of tablets and textbooks often doubles costs rather than replacing one with the other. 

On one side of the debate, former Portuguese Minister of Education Nuno Crato recently published Apología del libro de texto (In Defense of the Textbook), emphasizing its value as a structured reference, a study guide, and a support for teachers. Meanwhile, Sweden has halted its digitization program after noticing a sharp decline in students’ reading and writing levels since 2016. 

Especially in primary education, excessive digitalization brings risks

The way technology is used is key to enhanced student education. Spanish regions such as the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Navarre—areas with the highest daily classroom technology use—have seen the steepest declines in academic performance over the past decade. As some of Spain’s wealthiest regions, with co-official languages and strong education systems, students should be scoring higher than average on the PISA exams. Yet their performance (in Basque Country and Catalonia) now lags behind the national average. Although this decline cannot be attributed solely to technology, it seems clear that it has not guaranteed stronger learning.  

Gortázar values textbooks as a safeguard. “If we embrace the technological model, there would be less regulation and more uncertainty,” he argues. “Especially in primary education, excessive digitalization brings risks.” 

The potential, and pitfalls, of AI in education 

AI is arguably the most disruptive technology now appearing in classrooms. Countries are already charting very different paths. For instance, China has issued guidelines to promote AI education from primary school onward, in a bid to build a strong national pipeline of tech talent. 

Liliana Arroyo, Associate Professor of Sociology at Esade, sees reasons for optimism. “AI can help us personalize learning... but success will depend on how we use it,” she says in declarations to El País. AI offers teachers new tools to adapt lessons to different student needs. Khan Academy’s Khanmigo AI-powered tool is being piloted in schools across the US, where early reports highlight improved student engagement, higher test scores, and reduced admin time for teachers. 

Toni Roldán, Director of Esade EcPol, also highlights the possibilities. In a World Bank study in Nigeria, AI-assisted tutoring produced two years of learning gains in just six weeks. Used thoughtfully, AI can help democratize access to high-quality tutoring, predict future dropouts, and free up teacher time for students who most need it. As he notes, “AI could change the game—if used to support, not replace, teachers.” 

Yet there are risks to heavy reliance on AI. It makes mistakes and has biases. If we aren’t consciously evaluating its output, then we adopt the same false truths and biases. 

High-ability individuals benefit significantly more from AI

Too much screen time can also harm learning as the student becomes overly passive. Writing skills can decline if students rely too heavily on AI tools. And as Esade Associate Professor David Murillo warns writing in El Punt Avui, generative systems can create false confidence, reinforce inequality, and undermine trust in education. Strong students may benefit by working with AI, but weaker students risk falling further behind as they allow AI to produce most of their work for them. 

The Gates Foundation echoes these concerns: AI has the potential to narrow learning gaps, but if used carelessly, it could just as easily amplify them. As an Esade research shows, high-ability individuals benefit significantly more from this technology. 

Beyond the hype: what’s next for schools? 

The research leads to a clear decision. Ban smartphones. Use technology only where it adds real value. And, keep teachers at the center of the learning process. 

“The goal is not to demonize technology in education, but rather to avoid its uncritical adoption and better understand its real impact,” says Gortázar. 

The student is at her desk, choosing between a tablet and a textbook. The device itself is not the determining factor. What matters is whether it encourages thoughtful, teacher-led learning and encourages her to analyze and make decisions, rather than simply consume information.