Tech Adoption Trends Reports

 Americans’ Use of Internet, Broadband in 2026

The internet represents a fundamental shift in how Americans connect with one another, gather information and conduct their day-to-day lives. Explore the patterns, trends and statistics of internet and home broadband adoption in the United States. 97% adults use the Internet, but those with lower income levels and formal education are less likely to say they subscribe to a broadband service at home. Today, 16% of U.S. adults are “smartphone-only” internet users, meaning they own a smartphone but do not subscribe to a home broadband service.

Americans’ Use of Social Media in 2026

Today YouTube and Facebook are the most-widely used online platforms. Explore the demographic patterns and trends shaping the social media landscape. Usage of the major social media platforms varies by factors such as age, gender and level of formal education.

Americans’ Use of Mobile Devices in 2026

Americans today are increasingly connected to the world of digital information while “on the go” via smartphones. Explore the latest patterns, trends and statistics that have shaped the mobile revolution. The vast majority of U.S. adults (98%) own a cellphone of some kind. About nine-in-ten (91%) own a smartphone, up from just 35% in the Center’s first survey of smartphone ownership conducted in 2011--though some differences do emerge, particularly by age, household income and education.

Fact sheets: Technology adoption trends. Pew Research Center.

https://www.pewresearch.org/collections/tech-adoptions-trends/

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Cell Phone Ban Update Report

“With virtually all students in the country now attending a school with some sort of cellphone restriction, [the researchers] wondered what challenges schools face in implementing and enforcing these rules, and how students themselves are experiencing cellphone bans. … [In] October 2025 and May 2026, [the researchers] asked a nationally representative sample of teens, including those attending public, private, and charter schools … about their schools’ cellphone policies and their own experiences with phone rules during the school year. … [The researchers’] evidence suggests that policies like bell-to-bell bans persist across the year more than less-strict policies. … [Under] bell-to-bell policies, there was a 10 percentage-point increase in the proportion of teens reporting using their phones during core classes (25% to 35% …). In schools with less-strict policies, there was an 18 percentage-point increase (from 32% to over 50%). Although cellphone usage increased across the board by the end of the year, the increase at schools with less-strict policies was nearly double the increase … at schools with stricter policies. … Although there was little change in the proportion of teens perceiving a positive impact of their school’s phone policy, with most shifts moving away from negative perceptions toward neutral perceptions, our results are still consistent with teens learning that navigating a day without their phones is not as devastating as they might have imagined.”

 Silver, D. et al. (2026, Sept. 10). A year later, What teens tell us about school cellphone bans. Brookings.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-year-later-what-teens-tell-us-about-school-cellphone-bans/

Book Banning Trends Report

 This report reflects on five years of escalating book censorship, including challenges, opportunities, and successes. "This fall marks the start of year six of relentless book bans—that’s more than half a decade. While the movement has shifted since its start, there is little question that we’re in for several more years of tireless advocacy on behalf of the right of all people in this country to read and access diverse, inclusive library collections."

Jensen, K. et al. (2026). We need to tell the story. Book Riot. 

https://bookriot.com/book-censorship-5-year-report/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email 

Reading and Well-being Study

 

"Drawing on subjective surveys and objective studies using longitudinal, neuroimaging, and behavioral methods, we highlight converging findings that link reading engagement with improved brain and mental health, better cognitive performance, and reduced risk of cognitive decline. Survey data in adults suggested that reading was associated with reduced stress, greater empathy, enhanced well-being, and decreased loneliness. Longitudinal cohort studies further indicate that cognitively stimulating activities, particularly reading, are associated with a lower risk of dementia and slower cognitive decline, even among individuals with lower educational attainment. In childhood and adolescence, early reading for pleasure has been linked to better attention, memory, executive function, academic achievement, and fewer mental health problems. Neuroimaging findings suggest that reading is associated with structural and functional differences in brain regions supporting executive control, emotional regulation, and social cognition." (abstract extract).

Sahakian, B. J., Perrin, V., & Langley, C. (2026). Reading and associations with brain health, cognition, well-being, and mental health. Psychological Medicine, 56, e262. doi:10.1017/S0033291726105625

Preschool Reading Study

 A new study found that parents and other caregivers are reading less often to their preschool-aged children than before the pandemic. The study also suggested that certain factors lead to a greater likelihood of regular shared reading habits at home, and others appear to have the opposite effect. Those insights may be useful to educators as they guide families toward establishing strong shared-reading habits at home—which can boost early literacy skills and hook kids on the joy of reading for fun. Having children’s books in the house increases the likelihood of shared reading. Kids who spent more time on screens got less shared reading time with parents or caregivers, and vice versa.

Jung K., & Barnett,. W. (2026).  Parent-Child Shared Book Reading With Preschoolers During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA,  9(8),  e2631611. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.31611

Students' Use of Chatbot Report

 “A new nationwide survey from the child safety nonprofit Thorn found that AI chatbots have quickly become part of many children's lives, not just for homework or curiosity, but sometimes for advice, emotional support and help navigating frightening online experiences. … Among its findings:

• 67% of children said they have used an AI chatbot.
• Nearly one in four reported experiencing an online sexual interaction.
• Of those children, 15% said they sought support or guidance from an AI chatbot afterward.

Researchers also found that fear and embarrassment increasingly keep children from telling adults when something happens online.” (Gulf Coast News, July 28, 2026).

Thorn, R. et al.  (2026). Youth perspectives on online safety, 2025. 

https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/Thorn_2025YouthPerspectives_Report.pdf

Teen Reader Struggles Study

 

“New data underscores a troubling trend: Middle schoolers’ reading scores are stuck at post-pandemic lows, even as younger students show some signs of academic recovery. The research, from the assessment and research organization NWEA, examines 6th graders’ reading scores on the company’s MAP Growth tests between 2017 and 2025. On average, 6th graders lost ground between 2019 and 2021, during the height of COVID-related school disruptions. But after that, achievement trends began to diverge for students who were already stronger readers before the pandemic began, and students who were struggling. Sixth graders who were at 90th percentile and the 50th percentile in 2019 saw their scores flatline starting in 2022. But students at the 10th percentile have continued to lose ground, with achievement dropping further year after year. These patterns reinforce other data. Over the past two years, two sets of results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress have shown middle schoolers’ reading scores continuing to fall or stagnating, with the lowest-performing students driving the decline.” (EdWeek, Aug. 4, 2026). Kuhfield, M. (2026). Struggling adolescent readers left behind: Evidence of post-COVID-19 declines and pathways forward.  NWEA Research.  https://www.nwea.org/uploads/struggling-adolescent-readers-left-behind-evidence-of-post-covid-19-declines-and-pathways-forward_NWEA_Research-brief.pdf

Perceptions of school library workers study

A class study compared the various perceptions of what classified and support level persons in CA school libraries.  The results suggest that distinctions between professional and paraprofessional roles have become increasingly blurred, with paraprofessional staff frequently expected to perform complex information and instructional tasks without corresponding professional preparation or credentials. These findings raise concerns about the deprofessionalization of school librarianship and highlight the need for clearer differentiation of responsibilities, professional standards, and staffing models within California school libraries.

Harlan, Mary Ann (2026) "When Everyone Is a Librarian: Examining Job Titles and Responsibilities in California School Libraries," Learning Hub: Vol. 1: Iss. 2, Article 11.
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/learning-hub/vol1/iss2/11

 Recent research studied digital citizenship in K–12 schools after the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of a survey of school librarians discusses their perspectives on students’ digital behaviors, skills, and knowledge.

“This research found that school librarians are largely reporting qualitative and quantitative declines in digital citizenship amongst students. Many librarians report students with gaps in knowledge of technology or students participating in inappropriate behavior online,” the press release stated.

Stellmann, E. & Song, L. (2026). Digital Citizenship in K–12 Education: Educators’ Beliefs and Concerns. School Library Research, 29. https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/2026-06/stellmannandsong.pdf

Cell phone use and reading survey

 A recent survey of 900 school librarians and educators across the country revealed that mobile device policy that banned cell phone coincided with 2/3 reporting more visual engagement with books in classrooms, increased library circulation, and more independent reading during free periods. Full bans, especially those who used physical storage methods, outperformed looser "off and away" approaches, particularly in high schools. 

Yurio, K. (2026. July 23). SLJ survey: Cell phone bans boost reading, library use. School Library Journal. https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/SLJ-Survey-Cell-Phone-Bans-Boost-Reading-Library-Use 

Primary Student Reading Study

Early reading readiness among students in kindergarten through second grade has stagnated, with 34% performing below benchmark, according to Amplify's recent data from mCLASS DIBELS tests. The study, which evaluates 350,000 students across 43 states, shows that while kindergartners maintained last year's levels, proficiency among first- and second-graders slightly declined, particularly in oral reading fluency.  Modan, N. (2026). Progress paused: What end-of-year data reveal about early literacy in grades K–2. Amplify. https://amplify.com/pdf/uploads/2026/06/mCLASS_EOY_Report_072426.pdf

Student Technology Use Study

 “The vast majority of US public schools now issue devices to every student, according to a 2025 National Center for Education Statistics survey. A new found students putting away their phones didn’t seem to meaningfully improve learning outcomes,.probably because schools are giving students other forms of technology to replace their personal devices, despite a wide body of evidence showing that educational technology generally makes it harder for students to learn. Students who use computers more perform worse academically, neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath documented in his book, ‘The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids’ Learning — And How To Help Them Thrive Again.’ These results show up in numerous reliable international standardized tests, Horvath explained in congressional testimony.” 

Allcott, H. et al. (2026). The effects of school phone bans: national evidence from lockable pouches. National Bureau of Economic Research. 

AI in school libraries report

A recent report examined K-12 teaching about AI. Some of the key recommendations are based more around how we assign and assess student work, rather than on AI as a specific technology. For example, the report suggested moving away from AI detectors or other adversarial approaches to assessment re-design and instead seeking more valid evidence of student understanding. 

Harris, C. et al. (2026). TeachingAbout.AI K-12 Field Report.  Teaching About. https://teachingabout.ai/report-for-the-k-12-field/

For Classroom Teachers

• Move from punishment to a restorative protocol for suspected AI misuse: conversation, redo opportunity, explicit teaching about the purpose of the assignment.
• Pilot Black Box Assessment in two or three units per grade band where the work has traditionally been a take-home product. Capture and credit the rough draft, the revision, and the rationale—not only the final paper.
• Use AI feedback as preparation for human feedback, not as a substitute. A chatbot can scaffold a first draft; only a teacher can tell a student what the work means and provide recognition.

For Principals and Instructional Leaders

• Reframe district planning documents from “AI policy” to “teaching and learning in an AI-mediated context.” The shift is not cosmetic; it changes what counts as a relevant solution and who needs to be in the room.
• Issue explicit, written permission from district leadership: this is the year we redesign. Specify what divergence is allowed, what evidence is requested, and what supports are available.
• Replace “AI ban” and “AI mandate” framings with explicit harm-reduction policies. Name the harms (engagement-driven design, parasocial bonding, deepfake abuse) and the mitigations.

For School Librarians

• Empower school librarians as in-house consultants on task redesign. Their co-teaching role across subject areas makes them well placed to coach colleagues through structural redesign one unit at a time.
• Use the LibraryReady.AI PreK–12 scope and sequence as a backbone. It is grade-banded, librarian-friendly, and built for exactly this work in all levels of classrooms.
• Treat school librarians as the in-district R&D unit. Their broad view across classrooms, their information-evaluation skills, and their relationship to the LibraryReady.AI scope and sequence make them ideal redesign partners.

Harris, C. et al. (2026). TeachingAbout.AI K-12 Field Report

Book Censorship and School Librarians' Role Research

A recent study examined how school librarians in a Texas school district are impacted by book censorship policies. This research found that book censorship has a detrimental effect on school librarians, both in their day-to-day work, and in plans for their future career and job satisfaction. The researchers acknowledge the small, localized sample size, and recommend future research in other areas, as well as qualitative research on the mental health and stress of school librarians with factors besides censorship and collection development.

Misty Schattle, M. & O’Connor, J. (2026). Books and Barriers: The Influence of Book Censorship on the Role of School Librarians, Their Self-Efficacy, and Well-Being. School Library Research, 29. https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/2026-06/schattleandoconnor.pdf  

SLJ budget and funding survey findings

 more than half of school libraries in the United States—57 percent—report operating with “unmet needs,” according to School Library Journal’s 2026 Budget and Spending Survey. The survey, completed by 820 school libraries, examines current year (2025–26), prior year (2024–25), and projected library media center (LMC) budgets, revealing a largely flat funding environment across school types.

Within the data, the survey reveals how multiple factors, including burdensome approval and purchasing processes, rising collection expenses, and a growing need for alternative funding sources, exacerbate the impact of flat budgets in a period of economic uncertainty. This data is not only notable, but should help drive advocacy for school funding going forward.

Topics include demographics, district and state challenges, diversity funding, book fairs, staffing, and partnerships. 

Witteveen, A. (2026). 2026 budgets funding survey: School libraries face unmet needs. School Library Journal. https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/2026-Budgets-Funding-Survey-School-Librarians-face-Unmet-Needs

State of American Libraries Report

 The American Library Association published their 2025 State of American Libraries report. Some key topics were book banning and censorship (which is now mainly initiated by pressure groups and government officials), services to incarcerated people, advocacy, and libraries as literacy hubs. 

State of American Libraries. (2026). ALA. https://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2026

Early Childhood Screen Use Impact Study

A recent national survey asked about students’ behavior, emotional regulation, motor development, and other foundational skills. Respondents were also asked whether today’s students in pre-K through 3rd grade struggle more with basic skills and daily tasks than their same-age peers two years ago. Dozens of early educators shared concerns about students’ school readiness, pointing to gaps in age-appropriate motor skills, social-emotional maturity, attention spans, and overall independence. Many attributed these challenges largely to excessive screen time and permissive parenting.

Kuhfeld, M. (2026). Addicted to screens. EdWeek. 

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/addicted-to-screens-teachers-sound-the-alarm-on-their-youngest-students/2026/04

Struggling Readers in Secondary Schools Survey

 Based on a national survey of teachers, principals, and district leaders, this report highlights widespread concerns—especially in higher-poverty schools—and examines key questions about training, resources, and family support. Data-driven findings point to solutions for strengthening secondary literacy. Topics include training on how to support middle and high school students struggling with basic reading skills, resources to help educators assist those students, and the role of parental support.

Struggling readers in secondary schools: Results of a national survey. (2026) Education Week.

https://www.edweek.org/research-center/reports/struggling-readers-in-secondary-schools-results-of-a-national-survey?utm_source=eb&utm_medium=eml&utm_campaign=RCReport&M=17140198&UUID=38915a68716182c0a0b20ace8b5219f7&T=22403136

teens and AI report

 Students are using AI tools. The study found that a majority of U.S. teens have used AI chatbots, and many report using them to support schoolwork and research. For educators and librarians, the issue is no longer whether AI belongs in education. The real question is whether schools will teach students how to use it responsibly.

How Teens Use and View AI. (2026). Pew Research CENTER.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/02/24/how-teens-use-and-view-ai/pi_2026-02-24_teens-and-ai_0-01/?_gl=1%2Axfpp0n%2A_up%2AMQ..%2A_gs%2AMQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk6rNBhCxARIsAN5mQLuD1rnbi9_P4wWPrGN0j3TvT5shVi4oi2y2QzkSO5EdLccyCl6dABMaAuQHEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAA-ddO9HhIP5NLYtpLbodzRDa_adD3&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

 Cultivating competencies such as self-regulation, emotional resilience, and intentional technology use may support healthier digital engagement and enhance both academic learning and student well-being. A recent study explored the representation of digital wellness within existing digital literacy and digital citizenship educational models or framework, and found that the majority referred to digital wellness as a ‘subcomponent’ of digital literacy or digital competence, affirming their status as educational priorities globally.

Laffier, J., Westley, M., & Rehman, A. (2025). How digital wellness is represented in school digital literacy and citizenship models: a qualitative comparative analysis. Academia Mental Health and Well-Being, 2(4). https://www.academia.edu/2997-9196/2/4/10.20935/MHealthWellB8019

Reading Aloud to Children Study

 Reading aloud to children, even after they can read independently, provides benefits beyond literacy, according to a recent study. It found that just 15 minutes of shared reading each night helped strengthen children's empathy and creativity, Furthermore, it doesn't matter if the reader asks questions or not. 

Winter, M. et al. (2026). Keep the bedtime story: A daily reading ritual improves empathy and creativity in children. PlusOne. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340068

Banned Cellphone Impact Study

 A recent report indicates that nearly 80% of teens attend schools with "no cellphone" policies, but that students continue to use their devices for nonacademic purposes. Bans differ in scope, with about half of students reporting total restrictions throughout the school day and another 40% experiencing limits only during instructional time.

Rapaport, A. (2026). Cell Phone School Policies: Implementation, Perceived Impacts, and Student and Parent Beliefs. Center for Applied Research in Education at the University of Southern California   https://dornsife.usc.edu/cesr/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2026/01/UAS-CARE-Cell-phone-policy-results.pdf

Digital wellness study

This study explored the representation of digital wellness within existing digital literacy and digital citizenship educational models or frameworks. Results revealed that fourteen of the twenty-four frameworks incorporated digital wellness constructs to varying degrees. The majority referred to digital wellness as a ‘subcomponent’ of digital literacy or digital competence, affirming their status as educational priorities globally. 

Laffier, J., Westley, M., & Rehman, A. (2025). How digital wellness is represented in school digital literacy and citizenship models: a qualitative comparative analysis. Academia Mental Health and Well-Being, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.20935/MHealthWellB8019

Students' Use of AI Report

 A  nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 teenagers indicated that 72 percent of teens have used AI as companions at least once, while 21 percent use them as companions a few times per week, and 13 percent use them daily. While almost half of survey respondents (46 percent) said they view AI as tools or programs, 33 percent said they use them for social interaction and relationships, 18 percent said they use them for conversation or social practice, 12 percent said they use them for emotional or mental health support, and another 12 percent said they use them for role-playing or imaginative scenarios (multiple responses to the question were allowed). But even AI chatbots specifically designed for mental health therapy—in which these types of safeguards should be baked in—currently may not be much better suited to the task than an all-purpose bot such as ChatGPT. AI demonstrated increased stigma toward certain mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, compared to other conditions such as depression, which could lead people with those stigmatized conditions to stop seeking therapy altogether. (excerpted from School Library Journal)

The Dawn of the AI Era: Teens, Parents, and the Adoption of Generative AI at Home and School. (2025). Common Sense Media. 

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/new-report-shows-students-are-embracing-artificial-intelligence-despite-lack-of-parent-awareness-and

AI in school report

 

A recent global report examined students, schooling, and artificial intelligence. It is not a tool guide. It is not a classroom how-to. It is a warning, and a call to professional responsibility. The report concluded that under current conditions, the risks of AI in education outweigh the benefits. 

Brookings organizes its recommendations around three pillars that assume active educator involvement:

• Prosper: Use AI only when it strengthens learning rather than replacing effort, struggle, or sense-making.

• Prepare: Build AI literacy that includes limitations, bias, data use, and appropriate non-use.

Protect: Prioritize student privacy, emotional well-being, cognitive development, and safety through intentional design and governance.

Burns, M. et al. (2026). A new direction for students an an AI world: Prosper, prepare, protect. Brookings. 

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-new-direction-for-students-in-an-ai-world-prosper-prepare-protect/

Search tools strategies study

A recent comparative analysis of four widely used AI-enabled research discovery tools — Elicit, Typeset.io (SciSpace), Consensus, and Scite.ai — lookedat how they perform across different types of research queries and discovery contexts. The results make one thing clear: traditional keyword search remains superior for exactness. Image-based discovery remains largely unsupported. Perhaps most frustrating for experienced researchers is the loss of control. In traditional systems, a poorly performing query can usually be debugged: terms can be adjusted, fields constrained, logic refined. In AI-driven systems, failures are harder to diagnose. AI systems are particularly effective at summarizing bodies of literature, identifying themes, and synthesizing evidence across multiple papers. AI tools excel when the task involves interpretation, synthesis, or sense-making areas where traditional keyword search has always been weakest. The results suggest not a clean replacement of keywords, but the emergence of a hybrid future in which precision search and AI-driven synthesis coexist, sometimes uneasily. The most effective discovery environments will be hybrid systems that combine: Natural language interfaces for exploration and synthesis, keyword and metadata controls for precision and verification, and transparent signals that help users assess confidence and coverage. (excerpted from article below)

Hong Zhou and Hiba Bishtawi. (2026). Keywords re not dead but discovery is no long just research. Scholarly Kitchen.  (2026). https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2026/01/06/keywords-are-not-dead-but-discovery-is-no-longer-just-search/

Journalism Study

 According to a recent report, “‘Biased,’ ‘Boring’ and ‘Bad’: Unpacking perceptions of news media and journalism among U.S. teens,” released in November 2025, 45 percent of teens said that journalists do more harm to democracy than protect it.

Biased, boring’ and ‘bad’: Unpacking perceptions of news media and journalism among U.S. teens. (2025).  News Literacy Project. https://newslit.org/news-and-research/teens-and-news-media/