“Educational” technology is the new “fat free” cookie!
We are living in the SnackWell's era of education thanks to the empty calories (and promises) from educational technology…
The term “fat free” exploded in the 1990s along with the rise of the SnackWell's cookie brand. If you are old enough, you probably remember when SnackWell's entered the cookie scene in 1992. I was a sophomore in college at the time and vividly remember snacking on numerous cookies that were labeled “fat free”. Want to eat cookies and not worry about gaining weight, just snack on some SnackWell's! Brilliant. I particularly enjoyed the chocolate sandwich cookie with chocolate filling. Take a little trip down memory lane and enjoy an old commercial…
Thankfully I soon realized that tasty treats were not what they claimed. My critical thinking kicked in and a closer look at the ingredients on the back of the package revealed that those supposedly “fat free” cookies were not so healthy after all.
The “fat free” fad of the 90’s turned out to be a farce. Pushed on us by a food industry that ultimately is designed to sell their goods for a profit. They saw an opportunity and marketed their products well, or should I say “SnackWell's”.
Unfortunately for our children, the educational technology craze of the last 15 years mirrors the fat free craze of the 90’s. One major difference is that big tech has a larger hold on the narrative and our education system has sunk their teeth into the belief that these products are the key ingredient to solving our education problems.
The closer you examine these products however, you will recognize the empty promises of improved reading or math scores. The ingredients or rather the research they claim that supports their product is buried deep on websites and when you find it, you’ll see weak studies and little benefit to educational skills.
Consumers eventually realized that labeling a food item “fat free” didn’t make it healthy. In fact, often these products are highly processed filled with sugars and high fructose corn syrup that when consumed turn to unhealthy fats in the body. Putting the term “educational” in front of technology doesn’t actually make the product “educational” and introduces other unintended negative consequences for children. Too many “fat free” cookies turns to fat just like too much “educational” technology interrupts real education.
The profits edtech companies have made since it has infiltrated the education scene is astounding. These tech products are sold to educators in dazzling packages with the promises of improved math scores or higher literacy scores. But when you step back and look at the data, student test scores continue to decline.
As our waists grew and the number on the scale increased with supposed “fat free” food, we realized that we were literally fed a lie. As an educator, it is so difficult to watch this same scenario playing out in schools.
Tech companies increase their profits by selling products that keep the consumer using. Ultimately they are not driven by what is best for children. There are numerous stories everyday about how kids are suffering yet it seems that the connection to the tech products being sold and used increasingly more during the school day is being overlooked. Maybe that is intentional or maybe it’s not but once you see it, it is hard not to unsee.
Most of us eventually knew to stop eating the fake fat free cookies and SnackWell's finally went out of business in 2022, some 30 years later. How long will it take for us to realize that the majority of “educational” technology is actually harmful to learning, not helpful? 30 years seems too long for me.