In 2002, Maine became the first state to implement a statewide laptop program to some grade levels. Then-governor Angus King saw the program as a way to put the internet at the fingertips of more children, who would be able to immerse themselves in information.
By that fall, the Maine Learning Technology Initiative had distributed 17,000 Apple laptops to seventh graders across 243 middle schools. By 2016, those numbers had multiplied to 66,000 laptops and tablets distributed to Maine students.
King’s initial efforts have been mirrored across the country. In 2024, the U.S. spent more than $30 billion putting laptops and tablets in schools. But more than a quarter-century and numerous evolving models of technology later, psychologists and learning experts see a different outcome than the one King intended. Rather than empowering the generation with access to more knowledge, the technology had the opposite effect.
It's such a difficult problem, because it's so ingrained in our evolution. We are hard wired to find the solution which requires the least effort. This did wonders for our species, and it led to every revolution in history. However, we're at a crossroads now, and I don't see any way out of it. There's just no stopping the momentum.
Eventually, the complexity of our tasks should catch up, forcing us to do a lot of mental work again even with the novel tools.