The High Cost of EdTech: Why More Tech in Classrooms Is Leading to Less Learning

For decades, the world's largest technology companies have presented a dazzling vision of the future to American schools. The pitch is seductive: a new device, a revolutionary program, or a transformative app that will usher education into the 21st century. The promise is that technology will make children smarter, teachers happier, and administrative processes seamless. However, beneath this polished veneer of progress lies a troubling reality. A massive, uncontrolled experiment has been unfolding in our classrooms, and the results are alarming. As technology has become more pervasive in schools, student performance has been steadily declining.

This article pulls back the curtain on the educational technology (EdTech) industry. We will explore how companies like Google successfully embedded their products into the fabric of American education, what their true motivations are, and the profound impact this digital saturation is having on students' academic performance, cognitive abilities, and mental well-being. Furthermore, we will examine how the same strategic playbook is now being deployed to push the next wave of unproven technology—Artificial Intelligence—into our schools, raising critical questions about what we are sacrificing in the name of innovation.

What Exactly Is EdTech?

Core Definition and The Players Involved

When people think of "EdTech," they often picture hardware—the laptops, tablets, and interactive whiteboards that have become commonplace in modern classrooms. But the industry is far more extensive. EdTech encompasses the entire ecosystem of digital tools used in education, including the devices students learn on, the software that delivers their lessons, the platforms teachers use for quizzes and lesson planning, and the vast array of online services that support the educational process.

A prime example is Google, which offers a comprehensive suite of products including the Google Workspace for Education, Google Classroom, and integrated services like YouTube and its search engine. The industry is not just made up of the tech companies providing these tools; it also includes a powerful network of investors who shape the companies' strategies and priorities. This multi-faceted industry has seen explosive growth, more than tripling in the U.S. market since 2012 and projected to grow by over $100 billion in the next decade. It has fundamentally reshaped the classroom, influencing not just how students learn, but what they learn.

The Rise of EdTech in Schools: A Story of Smart Marketing and Perfect Timing

The saturation of EdTech in schools wasn't a grassroots movement led by educators; it was a brilliantly executed corporate strategy. Google's campaign to place Chromebooks in every student's hands is a masterclass in market creation. In 2011, the Chromebook was launched to a lukewarm reception. Early reviews criticized its limited functionality, which was confined to the Chrome web browser.

However, Google had a crucial advantage: price. With some models selling for as little as $300, Chromebooks were a significantly cheaper alternative to other laptops on the market. The company began aggressively marketing these inexpensive devices directly to schools and teachers. The strategy was twofold. First, they positioned the Chromebook as having everything a teacher could need. Second, they enlisted teachers and school districts to become brand ambassadors, who then evangelized the products to their peers. Testimonials claimed the technology "blew the walls away" and made it feel as though "Google is part of our team now". By 2016, this strategy had paid off handsomely: Chromebooks accounted for over half of the 13 million devices purchased by U.S. schools.

The industry's growth went into hyperdrive during the COVID-19 pandemic. As classrooms shut down, tech companies like Google and Microsoft positioned their products as the essential solution for remote learning, often to the exclusion of other options like outdoor learning. Consequently, worldwide Chromebook sales more than doubled during the pandemic, driven largely by school purchases. This crisis-driven adoption wasn't temporary; it successfully established a "new normal" where heavy technology use in schools is not just an option, but an expectation. Students are now expected to type essays, submit work through Google Classroom, and complete assignments using a variety of digital forms and surveys.

Unpacking the Real Motives: Why Big Tech Is So Invested in EdTech

While Google earns some revenue from management fees for school-used Chromebooks, the bulk of its profits comes from advertising and search. This begs the question: why is Google so deeply invested in the education market? The answers reveal a strategy focused on long-term profit rather than pedagogical improvement.

The first major incentive is the creation of lifelong customers. By embedding their products in the classroom, tech companies gain access to a captive audience of children. When students grow up using a Google-centric environment for all their schoolwork, they are highly likely to continue using that same ecosystem as adults. As one expert puts it, even if a student gets a Chromebook for free, they become a "customer for life". This strategy ensures a stable market and a continuous pipeline of future users.

The second, and perhaps more valuable, asset is student data. Schools are a goldmine of information, and tech companies collect a tremendous amount of data from children. This data is incredibly valuable and can be mined and tracked from "cradle to grave". Although Google has stated it does not store student data or target children with ads, its actions have raised serious doubts. The company has faced major lawsuits and paid multimillion-dollar settlements over claims of illegally collecting data from children under 13 on YouTube and storing students' biometric data. Ongoing legal action alleges that Google uses student data to build "intimately detailed profiles on school-age children" which are then used to market products and services. This constant, often invisible, data collection represents a form of harm in itself, as students are forced to use these systems without fully understanding what is being taken from them.

The Hidden Costs of EdTech: Declining Scores and Shallow Thinking

While tech companies have reaped the benefits of market penetration, valuable data, and future customers, the return on investment for students is highly questionable. Decades of data on technology in schools paint a bleak picture. On the test known as The Nation's Report Card, student scores have been declining since 2012—coinciding with the period when personal devices were introduced to classrooms at scale.

This trend is not unique to the United States. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) has found a global decline in reading, math, and science scores over the last decade. A consistent pattern emerges: the more a country invests in classroom technology, the faster its test scores fall. In the U.S., less than 30% of eighth graders were proficient in reading and math last year. Veteran teachers with over 20 years of experience state it plainly: "kids are learning less, memory is down, attention is down, general IQ is down". Their thinking has become far more shallow.

Neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath explains that there is a scientific reason for this decline. Multitasking, he notes, is "hands down the worst thing you can do for learning, and memory, and attention". The very nature of screen-based devices encourages this behavior—opening new tabs, scrolling through feeds, and quickly checking notifications. Students have trained themselves for thousands of hours to engage in rapid-fire jumping between tasks. This habit directly conflicts with the focused, deep thinking required for learning. The average attention span on a screen has plummeted from 2.5 minutes in 2003 to just 44 seconds in recent years. This is why traditional, focused classroom environments—with a book, a teacher, and a board—were historically effective.

Beyond Academics: EdTech's Toll on Student Mental Health

The negative consequences of excessive screen time extend beyond academic performance. Since 2011, the number of high school students reporting symptoms of depression has steadily risen, reaching a staggering 40% by 2023. Numerous studies confirm a link between high levels of screen time and feelings of isolation.

In the school environment, it has become difficult to distinguish where the effects of social media end and EdTech begins. The devices are often one and the same. Disturbingly, some children are taught that their Chromebooks or iPads are tools for "emotional regulation". When a student is upset or struggling, an adult might suggest they "go on your Chromebook, listen to music, watch YouTube," or play a game on a tablet. This teaches children to use technology as an emotional crutch rather than developing internal coping mechanisms. One teacher, struggling with an eighth-grade class, found that switching from online submissions to paper assessments dramatically increased participation and improved grades, suggesting a student burnout with the digital-first approach.

Recognizing these harms, lawmakers and governments have begun to push back. Several countries have banned cell phones in schools, citing negative impacts on mental health and learning. This has opened a broader conversation about whether other devices, like Chromebooks, are just as problematic. Last year, the Swedish government announced a major policy shift to de-emphasize digital devices and return focus to traditional learning with physical books and handwriting. The sentiment is that younger children, in particular, should not be exposed to screens at all.

The Next Wave: Is AI the New EdTech Trojan Horse?

Just as policymakers begin to question the devices currently in schools, the EdTech industry has a "shiny new toy" to maintain its foothold in the classroom: Artificial Intelligence. Major tech companies are now in a race to integrate AI products into education, with Google adding its Gemini chatbot to its education suite and OpenAI partnering with the major EdTech platform Canvas.

The marketing pitch is eerily familiar. Proponents claim AI is the future, a tool that students will need to know how to use, and that those who don't adopt it now will be left behind. The U.S. federal government has thrown its full weight behind this push, with the Department of Education prioritizing grants for AI initiatives. This push is often framed by a sense of geopolitical urgency, with officials warning that China is "eating our lunch" in AI advancements and that an "AI-ready workforce" must be cultivated from an early age. This creates a lucrative new revenue stream for tech companies struggling to monetize their AI products.

However, the risks are significant and parallel the failures of the first EdTech wave. Experts warn that relying on generative AI tools could diminish critical thinking skills and flood the curriculum with misinformation, as these systems are known to produce wrong answers. AI is not a learning tool; it is an "offloading tool". It offers the "surest way to make sure kids avoid the process of thinking". We are once again rushing to adopt an untested technology without fully understanding its long-term impact on education.

Conclusion: Reclaiming the Classroom for Learning

The evidence is mounting. While the tech industry has been wildly successful at embedding its products into every corner of the classroom, students do not appear to be any better for it. In fact, they seem to be worse off. We have allowed schools to become profit centers for Silicon Valley, and our children are paying the price with shallower thinking, declining knowledge, and poorer mental health.

It is time to ask: what is the rush? If the primary function of a school is to foster learning, then every decision we make must be measured against that single criterion: "what is better for learning?". The current, hyper-digitized approach is an uncontrolled experiment that must be paused. We need to hold off, conduct proper studies to understand the long-term effects, and find the "sweet spot" for technology usage. We know that the current level is "way, way over the top". It is our collective responsibility—as parents, educators, and policymakers—to vet the claims of tech companies and reclaim the classroom as a space for deep, focused, and meaningful human learning.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about EdTech

1. What exactly is EdTech?

EdTech, or educational technology, is a broad term for the entire ecosystem of digital tools used in education. It includes not only physical devices like Chromebooks and tablets but also the software, learning platforms like Google Classroom, online services, and the investors and companies that provide them.

2. Why is increased EdTech linked to lower test scores?

Neuroscience research suggests that the device-driven environment of EdTech encourages multitasking, which is extremely detrimental to learning, memory, and attention. The constant switching between tabs and notifications trains students for rapid, shallow engagement rather than the deep focus required for complex thought, leading to shorter attention spans and poorer academic performance.

3. How is the current push for AI in schools similar to the earlier push for Chromebooks?

The marketing playbook is nearly identical. Both are presented as the "future" of education, with companies creating a sense of urgency that students will be at a disadvantage if they don't adopt the new technology immediately. This strategy pressures schools into adopting untested technologies before their long-term effects are understood.

4. How did tech companies get their products into so many schools?

Companies like Google used a multi-pronged strategy. They offered their devices, like Chromebooks, at a very low price point, making them attractive to budget-conscious schools. They also recruited influential teachers and districts to act as "ambassadors" for their products, creating a powerful, peer-to-peer marketing network to drive widespread adoption.

5. What are the biggest future risks of relying on EdTech, especially AI?

The primary risks include the diminishment of critical thinking skills, as AI can "offload" the process of thinking for students. There is also a significant danger of flooding the curriculum with misinformation, as generative AI is known to produce incorrect or biased information. Ultimately, over-reliance could hinder students' ability to learn, reason, and solve problems independently.