This month, I had my students write what I called “Activist Poems.” We brainstormed a variety of social issues that affect both adults and children. The list had a variety of topics from smoking to terrorism to homelessness. My contribution to the list was screen-time. As I read all of my students’ poems, I found that one student, Oula, chose this topic to write about. All of my students’ poems were powerful, but I felt this one needed to be shared. Here is a 4th grader’s perspective on screen-time:

I am against kids having too much screen time

I wonder what makes tech so appealing

I hear beeps and blinks from a million iPads

I see parents neglecting their kids, telling them to watch TV.

I want people to socialize more, face to face, not through Facebook or Instagram

I am a rebel against your X-box and Wii.

I dream of children just going outside to play.

I feel that you should shut your laptop for just a little while.

I touch the minds of children zoned out through Madden Mobile, Halo, Minecraft, and YouTube.

I say that turning up your ear buds is tuning out your world.

I help kids see that a book page is better than a Kindle screen.

I am fighting toys and games against your device.