The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced Wednesday it is launching a sweeping review of its school internet subsidy E-Rate program, citing concerns that increased screen time in schools may be contributing to declining academic performance.The E-Rate program provides roughly $3 billion annually in discounts for internet access and related connectivity services for eligible schools and libraries.FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called the review necessary at a time when screen time use has surged at schools across the nation, particularly since COVID.He told Fox News Digital that the increased use may be leading to poor educational outcomes, citing an advisory issued by the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services this year.TEENS SPEND MORE THAN A QUARTER OF THEIR TIME AT SCHOOL ON PHONES, NEW STUDY FINDSFCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced a review of the agency's E-Rate program, citing concerns about excessive screen time in schools.
(Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)"We're now starting to see research pour in that is associating excessive screen time in schools and for students with exceptionally poor academic outcomes," Carr said."We're seeing really poor performance across the country on reading, on math skills, on cognitive development."Carr said the review is also intended to empower parents who may have little awareness of how technology is being used in their children's classroom."I think parents provide a lot of great oversight when kids are using technology and screens inside the home, but that level of parental oversight goes away when your kid is at school," he said.
"I think there's many, many parents that do not have insight into what their kids are doing when they're spending hours with screens in schools.""So that is part of the FCC's proceeding is to look at how do we empower parents and make sure that they know what's happening with these connections that are funded by this federal program," Carr continued.GOP LA...