As screen time continues to be an important topic of discussion for families, we wanted to share recent recommendations from the U.S. Surgeon General, along with insights from the Minnesota Student Survey, ahead of summer. 

This May, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory about screen use for children and adolescents. Inver Grove Heights Schools (ISD 199) has implemented many of the action steps recommended to schools, such as a bell-to-bell policy on personal devices, and we continue to assess how technology is used in the classroom based on research and best practices. For recommendations families may find helpful, the Surgeon General Advisory and Toolkit is linked here. 

We encourage families to look into parental controls on technology at home. The 2025 Minnesota Student Survey, which is given to all students in grades 5, 8, 9, and 11, included new questions about technology use. Results for ISD 199 students showed that about a quarter of surveyed students were using technology, such as texting, social media, and video games, between midnight and 5 AM every school night. Additionally, more than half of surveyed students in grades 8, 9, and 11 reported using social media several times a day with about a quarter reporting that they use it once an hour or more. 

Our priority is preparing students for their future, which includes purposeful educational use of technology to provide multiple ways for students to access and demonstrate their learning. We want to partner with families to balance technology use both at home and at school. Thank you to our families for their continued partnership, and have a fun and safe summer.