Finnish students are ditching screens for books. Here’s why

Students in the Finnish town of Riihimaki are leaving their laptops behind and returning to textbooks. After a decade of promoting digital devices in schools, Finland is reassessing its approach as concerns about the impact of screen time grow.
For years, Finland’s education system has been praised worldwide for its innovative teaching methods and strong results.
Since 2018, many schools in Finland replaced books with laptops, offering free digital tools to students as young as 11.
However, this autumn, Riihimaki schools have made a notable shift—opting for pen and paper instead of screens.
Parents and teachers are increasingly concerned about how much time children spend on screens, and the decision to bring books back aims to counter this trend.
“Young people are using phones and digital devices so much these days that we didn’t want school to be one of the places where children are only staring at screens,” said Maija Kaunonen, an English teacher at Pohjolanrinne Middle School.
The issue isn’t just about the volume of screen time—it’s about how easily digital distractions interfere with learning.
Many students admitted to finishing assignments quickly so they could sneak off to play games or chat on social media.
As Kaunonen noted, “Most students just did the exercises as quickly as they could so they could then move on to playing games.” This trend raised alarm bells among teachers and parents alike.
The return to books appears to be helping. Students like Miko Mantila and Inka Warro, both 14, said they’ve noticed improved concentration since the change.
“Reading is much easier and I can read much faster from books,” Miko said.
Inka added, “It’s easier to go to sleep when you haven’t just been looking at a device.”
Clinical neuropsychologist Minna Peltopuro supported the shift, explaining that excess screen time, which can be up to six hours a day for Finnish teens, is linked to physical and mental health risks such as eye strain and anxiety.
“The brain is very vulnerable to multi-tasking,” Peltopuro said, pointing out that constant digital use overwhelms young minds.
As Finland’s government considers new legislation to reduce screen time in schools by banning personal devices during class, the Riihimaki experiment could be a sign of more schools going back to basics.
While technology has its place, the return to books could mark a positive shift towards balance in learning.

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(With inputs from Reuters)