New York City students using school-issued Chromebooks and iPads can no longer get to YouTube on those devices, including after they take them home, WPIX reported.
The move pulls the school system further into a growing debate over how much screen time belongs in children's education — and how much control families should have over it.
Here's what to know
At a City Council oversight hearing, school officials confirmed that they applied a YouTube filter to all student devices in September.
That means school-issued Chromebooks and iPads should no longer be able to access the platform either on campus or at home, according to WPIX, which reported that Scott Strickland, deputy chief information officer at New York City Public Schools, announced the change.
"We heard everyone loud and clear. As of Wednesday night [at] 5 p.m., we filtered YouTube out of all student devices. So, they shouldn't be able to access it either in a Chromebook or iPad at school or even at home," Strickland commented, per WPIX.
The YouTube block adds to city rules that already bar personal devices such as phones, tablets, and laptops in schools.
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It also reflects broader anxiety among parents and local officials who feel pandemic-era classroom tech growth has made kids' online activity harder for families to track.
A school device taken home for homework can no longer double as an easy route to entertainment videos.
More background
Council members signaled at the hearing that, for some, blocking YouTube is only a starting point.
City Council Member Shekar Krishnan stated that he was "encouraged" by the move but argued the city should also take all testing offline and prevent younger students from bringing school-issued devices home, WPIX reported.
Krishnan tied that push directly to what many parents say they experienced after schools leaned more heavily on digital tools during the pandemic.
"Since the pandemic, I've seen my children … have their education become consumed by technology that I, as a parent, have no transparency around: what apps they have, and what information those apps [collect] about my children," he admitted.
As New York considers stricter limits, officials have pointed to Los Angeles as one example.
In June, the Los Angeles Unified School District adopted sweeping restrictions on students' use of YouTube, streaming platforms, and gaming sites, while also setting screen time limits by grade level, per WPIX.
What's being done?
Separate from the YouTube filter, New York City's Education Department has laid out screen time guidance by grade.
Students in 2-K through second grade are supposed to have no screen time, while grades three through five are capped at 30 minutes a day and middle school students at 45 minutes a day.
Deputy Chancellor Danielle Giunta acknowledged that digital assessments and remote instruction days are excluded from those limits, per WPIX.
For high school students, screen time depends on each course's needs, signaling that the city is trying to reduce unnecessary exposure without eliminating digital tools schools still rely on.
Those guidelines include carveouts for students with disabilities and for those who need language translation.
Council Member Eric Dinowitz and Krishnan have continued to press for additional changes, including taking all testing offline and preventing younger students from taking school-issued devices home.
"We are all concerned about the creeping up of screens in the classroom," Krishnan remarked.
Where can I learn more?
For a wider look at the concerns behind New York City's move, these articles cover harmful videos reaching kids, the effects of mandatory tech in classrooms, and other efforts to limit disruptive digital exposure.
• Parents are warning that concerning videos have infiltrated children's YouTube feeds, even though many of the clips seem harmless at first.
• At Brookings, analysts say new technology use in schools is already causing daunting harm.
• In California, lawmakers pushed a new law impacting streaming services after complaints from exhausted parents.
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