Digital Dependency Crisis: One-Third of Elementary Students Unable to Use Traditional Textbooks

26.01.2026

A concerning trend has emerged in elementary education: approximately one-third of primary school students are now unable to properly interact with physical textbooks, treating them like smartphone screens and attempting to swipe through pages. This behavioral pattern is leaving a significant portion of children unprepared for traditional classroom learning environments.

The root cause appears to be early-age overexposure to digital devices. Many parents justify this approach by arguing that in our technology-driven era, children must be familiarized with gadgets from an early age. However, this strategy is producing unintended consequences that extend beyond simple book navigation issues.

Educators have identified several critical skill deficiencies among today's students:

• Impaired social communication abilities
• Diminished emotional regulation and self-control
• Lack of basic self-care skills, including independent eating

One particularly telling parental observation highlights the severity of device dependency: "My child has a meltdown when I take away their tablet." This reaction pattern suggests potential addictive behaviors developing at extremely young ages.

The situation underscores a growing need for balanced digital literacy approaches that don't compromise fundamental developmental milestones and traditional learning capabilities.

Source: https://futurism.com/future-society/children-schools-books-like-phones

Tags: education Screen Time digital-dependency child-development learning-crisis

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