Digital Detox in Schools: It’s About Student Devices, Not Every Screen

The digital detox has moved from a talking point to a plan. From 2027, government schools are leading the changes to student screen time, and many Catholic and independent schools are watching closely. NSW is introducing daily limits on student devices in public schools, WA is trialling limits on screen use in early years classrooms, and education ministers have agreed to a national push to rebalance technology use in schools. 

Underneath the headlines are two separate goals. Limits on student devices are about removing distractions and getting students out from behind laptops, where they often work alone, and back into discussion, teamwork and connecting with their classmates. Limits on student use of generative AI are about making sure technology doesn’t replace student thinking. 

We agree with both. 

Neither goal means switching off every screen in the school. The focus is on student devices. And the right shared technology can help with exactly what the detox is trying to achieve: fewer distractions, more focus and more engaged students. 

What the digital detox actually limits 

At a national level, education ministers agreed that technology in schools “should be evidence-based, purposeful and advance student learning and wellbeing”, and that “student use of technology should be restricted when it fails to support these purposes.” A new Australian Schools Digital Detox Taskforce will help schools put that into practice through 2027. 

Here’s what’s happening, and when. Across every jurisdiction, the focus so far is consistent: student use of individual devices. 

NSW’s guidelines make the distinction especially clear. The daily time limits apply to individual student devices. Interactive whiteboards aren’t counted in those limits, but the guidelines say they “should only be used for teacher-led instruction and turned off when not in use.” 

In other words, the detox isn’t asking schools to switch off every screen. It’s asking them to be deliberate: fewer screens in students’ hands, and shared screens used with purpose, by the teacher. 

Where Vivi fits: teacher-led, whole-class instruction 

Vivi is designed for teacher-led, whole-class instruction and for running the campus. It isn’t built for students working alone on their own screens. In fact, it supports two things the detox is trying to improve: classroom management and student engagement. 

1. Classroom management: the teacher stays in control

With Vivi, teachers decide what appears on the shared classroom display, and when. They can present, switch content and annotate from anywhere in the room, using the device already in their hand. Because everything the class needs is on one screen at the front, student laptops can stay closed and out of the way. 

That matters more than it might seem. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare recently shared a story from another minister about teachers “standing at the back of classrooms now, so they can keep an eye on what’s on the screen.” When every student has their own screen, teachers can end up monitoring devices instead of teaching. When the content is on one shared display the teacher controls, they can move around the room and focus on the lesson. 

2. Student engagement: heads up, together

Vivi’s main job is to put content on the classroom’s existing display for the whole class to see and discuss: a worked example, a short video, or a photo of a student’s handwritten work. Instead of students working alone behind their own laptops, the class looks up, compares ideas and works through problems together. Sharing a group’s work on the big screen gives every student a reason to contribute, and gives the teacher a quick way to give feedback in front of the class. 

That’s the kind of use the new guidelines make room for. NSW’s daily limits apply to individual student devices, and its guidelines ask that interactive whiteboards be used for teacher-led instruction. A shared display used this way supports discussion and explanation, rather than adding to each student’s personal screen time. 

3. It works with the displays schools already own

The detox shouldn’t push schools into a new round of hardware spending. Vivi runs on the classroom displays schools already have, and it doesn’t need a new device for every student. 

Its built-in whiteboard and annotation tools also let teachers draw, write and mark up content on screen. For schools with older interactive panels, that can extend their useful life rather than forcing a replacement. 

As NSW reviews Bring Your Own Device programs and other states look at how many student devices they need, getting more from existing classroom AV is a practical place to start. 

Planning for 2027 

The digital detox is a chance for every school to ask what its technology is for. Some tools will rightly step back. Others, used well, help teachers lead the lesson and keep the school running safely. 

As you plan, three questions can help sort one from the other: 

1. Who is using it? A student alone on a device, or a teacher leading the whole class? 

1. What is it for? Does it support explanation, discussion and safety, or does it replace student thinking? 

1. What does it need? Does it work with what you already have, or does it add more devices? 

Planning for the digital detox? See how Vivi helps your teachers cut distractions and bring the class together. Book a free pilot or trial. Book a free pilot or trial. 

Related reading: Screen Time in Australian Schools: Is Classroom Technology the Problem?