Parents, policymakers, and celebrities are banding together against technology use in K-12 schools in what many are calling the “edtech backlash.” Articles and public debates reflect a growing concern over AI use, excessive technology spending, mental health, and educational apps that function more like digital babysitters than learning tools. 

Yet what appears to be missing is a common objective. The technology debate is not a single argument; it’s fragmented.

Some oppose student-facing AI or the introduction of technology in early education; others want a cap on screen time, while some want to ban most technologies in school. These arguments are often lumped together as one united stance, yet they reflect a wide range of positions, each with different consequences.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Education responded to these concerns with new guidance to help states, school districts, educators, families, and edtech providers make informed decisions about the responsible use of technology in classrooms. The guidance calls for a focus on instructional value over recreational engagement. It also made a clear distinction: Instructional technologies should be judged by their impact on learning, not simply by whether they happen on a screen.

That distinction matters. If this movement is going to improve education while protecting our children’s well-being, it must first distinguish between the technology itself, how it’s used, and the purpose it serves. Technology isn’t the enemy—passive consumption and purposeless use are. Failing to make that distinction creates two risks, both of which could leave some students without the support they need.

Risk One: Getting rid of the good

The first is that we risk eliminating well-designed educational technology along with ineffective tools. There is a significant difference between effective edtech that supports learning and edtech that functions as a checkbox activity. One uses technology to enhance learning through live classroom instruction, personalized feedback, and a state-certified teacher who meets students at their level. The other reduces learning to students clicking through modules with little-to-no instruction or feedback.

I’ve seen how this oversimplification has led many people to mischaracterize well-designed online school programs as just another form of mindless screen activities. Online schools are often grouped into the edtech backlash debate, yet many share the same foundational structure as traditional public schools.

Online schools, like Idaho Technical Career Academy (ITCA), are another option for kids who need something different. Children aren’t all the same. Learning environments don’t need to be either.

Critics may argue, “Why can’t these students go to their neighborhood school?” For a child who is chronically ill, being bullied, training to go pro in a sport, or seeking a career path that doesn’t exist in their town, telling them to go to their neighborhood school isn’t always realistic.

Risk Two: Failing to prepare our children

The second risk is failing to prepare our children for the future. Our generation built a world run by technology and now increasingly by AI. Our children will need to understand how to navigate AI. That includes learning to protect their personal data, recognize inappropriate content, identify AI bias, and spot deepfakes.

Raising responsible digital citizens does not mean we are raising a generation to embrace AI—it means we are equipping them with skills to navigate a world where they will inevitably encounter it. The goal should not be to keep kids away from technology, but to teach them how to use it wisely.

At the same time, children today are being handed smartphones and tablets with largely unfettered access outside of school, where technology is used primarily for entertainment rather than learning. If we want children to use technology safely, ethically, and in healthy ways, we can’t keep it out of schools.

The edtech backlash is not unwarranted. There are real concerns that must be addressed. But some concerns are overblown. When used well, technology can open doors that previous generations never had access to. We have a responsibility to our children to give them the tools they need—whether that’s access to an education that fits their needs or the knowledge to navigate technology safely, ethically, and responsibly.

Caleb Millay is the principal at Idaho Technical Career Academy (ITCA), a free online public charter school.