Sweden officially links falling student performance to screens—could going back to textbooks save education?

The Rise (and Risks) of Screens in Classrooms

For years, education has been swept up in a digital wave—from interactive whiteboards to students tapping away on tablets or laptops. In places like Sweden, France, and elsewhere in Europe, technology is now as much a part of the classroom as the humble desk and chair. Students watch videos, take quizzes, and send updates to their parents in real time. Paper report cards and handwritten absence notes? Practically ancient history, thanks to digital platforms like Pronote.

• Instant messaging apps connect parents and teachers in the blink of an eye.
• Students access lessons, schedules, and grades online.
• Homework is typed, not scribbled in a dog-eared exercise book.

But behind the buzz, concerns are growing. Research shows that reading on a glowing screen can be more exhausting, especially for young kids, compared to old-fashioned paper. And with the endless lure of games, videos, and social media just a tap away, focus in class often takes a nosedive. Studies suggest that screens don’t just distract: they can also make it tougher for students to remember and understand tricky content—particularly for those with attention difficulties.

Sweden’s Shift: From Paper to Pixel and Back Again

Sweden didn’t go digital overnight. In fact, it’s been a fifteen-year evolution as laptops and tablets gradually moved in, replacing textbooks in classrooms across the country. By middle school, most Swedish children were spending dramatically more time on screens than with printed books, relying on devices for everything from research to homework.

Still, not everyone was celebrating this shift. Many Swedish parents grew alarmed, noticing that their kids were more interested in cat videos or online games than actual schoolwork. By 2018, a staggering one in five Swedish children aged 5 to 8 already had a smartphone of their own. France’s figures were even higher: more than half of elementary school kids had a phone, and 12% of children as young as 9 or 10 were already connected.

The Backlash: Can Textbooks Rescue Education?

As digital enthusiasm peaked, a worrying trend emerged: Swedish students’ overall educational performance was slipping. While their reading comprehension levels still stacked up well across the European Union, broader academic standards were sliding downwards.

Sweden’s Minister of Education, Lotta Edholm, got straight to the point:

She attributes this drop to the lack of critical thinking and over-reliance on digital devices in the classroom.

Cue a bold new move. The Swedish government is now rolling out a sweeping initiative to put textbooks back in students’ hands. Last year saw €60 million devoted to this goal, with another €44 million committed for this year and 2025. The aim: every student, every subject, a physical book—no exceptions. The thinking is simple: less screen time means deeper focus, tangible engagement, and hopefully, sharper thinking.

Teachers and parents are cheering the decision. Many hope a return to print will help kids regain their concentration and truly internalize what they learn—possibly restoring much-needed balance and encouraging critical thought.

A Global Rethink: Finding the Right Balance

Sweden isn’t an outlier here. As concerns about too much screen time gather pace, more countries are reexamining just how much tech should be in the classroom. Yes, digital tools offer plenty of advantages. But the challenge is ensuring technology supports learning, rather than hijacking it.

Sweden’s investment in textbooks could signal a wider shift, prompting schools everywhere to think harder about how they integrate technology—without letting educational quality slip through the cracks. If one thing’s clear, it’s that when it comes to learning, sometimes less truly is more.