Rethinking Digital Learning: What Policymakers Can Learn from Sweden

Over the past decade, many school districts across the United States have transitioned toward assigning laptops or tablets to students. Advocates of these programs have argued that digital learning can reduce paper costs, improve access to educational resources, and lessen the environmental impact associated with paper consumption. However, recent global trends suggest a growing reevaluation of this approach. Several countries have begun restricting screen use in educational settings and reconsidering policies that emphasized digital learning, with renewed support for textbooks and physical books. The goal of reducing paper consumption is understandable when considering environmental concerns. In economics, we call this a negative externality — an unintended cost imposed on society by an economic activity. Yet the movement by some countries to return to physical books raises an important question: could the negative externalities associated with excessive technology use among children outweigh some of the benefits of digital learning?

Research has identified several concerns related to prolonged screen use among students. Studies have found that digital devices can contribute to eye strain, reduce sustained engagement with reading material, and introduce distractions through notifications and other competing forms of digital content. In addition, some research has found associations between increased screen time and ADHD-like symptoms, as well as differences in brain development and structure in regions involved in attention, executive functioning, and information processing. Researchers continue to study these relationships, but the findings have raised concerns among educators, parents, and policymakers.

By contrast, research on handwriting and paper-based learning has highlighted several potential benefits. Studies suggest that handwriting activates neural pathways associated with learning and memory in ways that differ from typing. Other studies have found that students who read printed materials often demonstrate better reading comprehension than those reading the same content on screens. Physical books and handwritten note-taking may therefore provide cognitive advantages that support learning, creativity, and information retention.

One notable example of this policy shift can be found in Sweden. Sweden’s Minister for Schools has emphasized the importance of textbooks, stating that “physical books are important for student learning”. The Swedish government has moved to reverse previous policies that encouraged extensive digital device use in early education, including ending mandatory digital learning requirements for preschool-aged children. To support this transition, the government invested nearly $100 million in purchasing books and expanding access to traditional learning materials.

In the United States, neuroscientist and educator Jared Cooney Horvath has passionately advocated for the return of physical textbooks for many of the same reasons. When evaluating the potential negative externalities of educational policies, the well-being of students should remain the primary consideration. While technology can provide valuable educational tools, policymakers should carefully weigh its benefits against potential developmental and educational costs. Sweden’s policy changes offer one example of a government reassessing the role of technology in classrooms.

Rather than forcing schools to choose digital devices as a response to budget constraints, governments, especially the federal government, should provide adequate funding for traditional educational resources, including textbooks, workbooks, and other paper-based learning materials. While technology remains an important part of modern society, its role in education should be limited to situations where it serves a clear instructional purpose, such as computer science courses, digital literacy training, research projects, or other specialized coursework. The growing body of research highlighting the cognitive benefits of handwriting and paper-based reading, combined with concerns surrounding excessive screen exposure, suggests that laptops and tablets should not serve as the primary learning tools in the classroom. Policymakers in the United States should consider restoring textbooks and paper-based instruction as the foundation of K-12 education, and properly invest in our schools to allow them to do so, while treating technology as a supplemental tool rather than a replacement for traditional learning methods.

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