OR Unplugged is a local, non-profit focused on legislative action and dedicated to the belief that every child deserves a safe, healthy, and distraction-free childhood.
Email your zoned BSD Board Member, your principal, and your teachers.
Submit public comment to board members on the Friday before the meeting.
Share the petition on Nextdoor, your socials, and friends and family!
BSD Chromebook Meeting with CTO, Steve Langford (46-Min Mark)
Beaverton School District meeting discussing Chromebook policies and technology decisions with the Chief Technology Officer. Watch Here
Neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath Testifies in the Senate on 1/15/26
Research on the effects of screen technology and digital media on children's brain development was submitted to the U.S. Senate. Watch Here
The Association between Screen Time and Attention in Children: A Systematic Review (PubMed)
Systematic review finding most studies report associations between higher screen time and attention problems in typically developing children. Learn More
Feeds, Feelings, and Focus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Cognitive and Mental Health Correlates of Short-Form Video Use (PubMed)
Meta-analysis of 71 studies found that increased short-form video use is associated with poorer attention, inhibitory control, and mental health across youth and adults. Learn More
Screen Time Exposure and Executive Functions in Preschool Children (Scientific Reports, Nature)
A study of 1,016 preschoolers linking passive screen time to lower cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibition. Learn More
Media anLearn Mored Young Minds (American Academy of Pediatrics)
AAP policy statement on screen time guidelines for children ages 0–5, emphasizing co-viewing, high-quality content, and limiting exposure. Learn More
Technology and Young Children: Position Statement (NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center)
Joint position statement on intentional, developmentally appropriate use of technology and interactive media in early childhood programs. Learn More
Principles of Child Development and Learning and Implications That Inform Practice (NAEYC)
NAEYC's evidence-based framework emphasizes play-based, hands-on learning and cautions that technology should not replace real-world experiences. Learn More
Meta-Analytic Review of the Short-Term Effects of Media Exposure on Children's Attention and Executive Functions (PubMed)
Meta-analysis showing children perform worse on attention and executive function tasks immediately after viewing fantastical media content. Learn More
A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect (Brookings)
Yearlong global study concluding that the risks of generative AI in children's education currently overshadow its benefits, with 12 recommendations for action. Learn More
KATU (local Oregon news) covers iReady story at BSD. Learn More
4+ hours/day of screen time is associated with 45% higher risk of anxiety and 61% higher risk of depression in children (Nature Humanities & Social Sciences, 2026). Learn More
EEG brain scans show handwriting activates larger neural networks than typing — including the hippocampus (memory center). Replacing handwriting with keyboards in early grades interrupts the neurological development that reading and learning depend on. Graphomotor skills in kindergarten predict reading in Grade 3. Replacing handwriting with keyboards in early grades interrupts the neurological development that reading and learning depend on. Graphomotor skills in kindergarten predict reading in Grade 3. Learn More
Studies on:
Eyesight: 41.9% of U.S. children are now myopic — a dramatic generational increase.
Tech Neck and Spinal Damage: A child's spine bears 49 lbs of force when looking down at an angle. The European Spine Journal (2025) calls this a "silent pandemic." (Springer Nature, European Spine Journal)
Attention Span and Self-Regulation: Children's attention spans have declined 12%. (Scientific Reports)
15.The Free Press, Jared Cooney Horvath, We Gave Students Laptops and Took Away Their Brains
The New Yorker, What Will It Take To Get AI Out of Schools?
After Babel, Amy Tyson, The False Promise of Device-Based Education
National Education Policy Center, Fit for Purpose? How Today’s Commercial Digital Platforms Subvert Key Goals of Public Education
AI in the classroom prompts tide of concern from US parents and experts (The Guardian, June 2026)
5 lessons from teachers on the risks of anthropomorphic AI (Brookings Institute, June 2026)
What Will It Take To Get AI Out of Schools? (The New Yorker)
AI in the classroom prompts tide of concern from US parents and experts (The Guardian, June 2026)
"Digital educational platforms have become ubiquitous in American classrooms, with tools like Google Workspace for Education, Kahoot!, Zearn, Khan Academy, and many others now structuring curriculum, instruction, collaboration, assessment, and communication. This policy brief highlights how these platforms are not neutral “tools” but complex ecosystems shaped by technical architectures, commercial imperatives, and political-economic interests."