Technology Is Reshaping Education. But Is It Helping Students Learn?

Technology was once presented as a revolution for schools. The promise was that putting technology into classrooms would help kids learn. Now, as technology companies exert greater influence over education, many people are asking whether screen time may be doing more harm than good.

That question is at the center of a PBS NewsHour Horizons segment published Sept. 4, 2026. The program looks at how technology is shaping education in public schools in the United States. It examines the tension between the original promise of school technology and concerns about its growing role.

Horizons moderator William Brangham leads the discussion. His guest is Natasha Singer, a reporter for The New York Times. Singer is also the author of “Coding Kids: Big Tech’s Battle to Remake Public Schools.”

The conversation focuses on a basic measure of success: whether students are learning. The segment asks whether more screen time always supports that goal. It also considers what it means when technology companies have a stronger influence on public education.

For students, the issue is not only how often technology appears in school. It is also how that technology affects learning. The discussion gives viewers a chance to consider whether the promise of technology-led education is being met.

The segment leaves an important question open: How can schools use technology to help children learn while avoiding screen time that may not serve that purpose?