A parent in Oklahoma has asked his son's school to block YouTube after finding the middle schooler had watched 120 videos over four days during class time. The school has since restricted the student's YouTube use during free periods, allowing him to listen to music only.
Jeff Howard, whose son attends a middle school in Oklahoma City, raised the issue of excessive screen use at school during a board of education meeting on the 12th, the Daily Mail reported on the 14th. Howard said he learned at a parent-teacher conference last week that students could watch YouTube or listen to music during free time, prompting him to check his son's viewing history. The log showed 120 videos from Monday through Thursday.
Howard said the playback times all fell within class hours. He said it appeared his son had rushed through assignments to watch more videos. A teacher told him his son had scored 17 points on one assignment, taking six minutes on the first attempt but only two minutes on a retake, he said. Howard said his son is addicted to screens and that the school should block YouTube directly. At home, he said, the boy is not allowed to use YouTube without adult supervision.
U.S. media have also examined YouTube use on school-issued devices. In an April article based on interviews with more than 45 parents and school officials, The Wall Street Journal reported the case of a middle school student in Wichita, Kansas, who watched more than 13,000 videos during school hours between December 2024 and February 2025 using a school Google account. In the same article, some teachers said YouTube remains necessary as classroom material.
Rick Cobb, who has led the Mid-Del school district since 2015, said discussion is needed on how far student screen use should be limited. He said instructional use and free-time use after assignments are finished should be examined separately.
In Oklahoma, House Bill 4358, introduced by Republican Rep. Anthony Moore, passed the House on March 25 this year by a vote of 95-0. The measure would have capped in-school screen time at one hour a day for students from kindergarten through fifth grade, counting teacher-led activities toward that limit. Special education and assistive technology uses were excluded. The bill died, however, after failing to reach a floor vote in the Senate before the session ended on May 14. Because it applied only through fifth grade, it would not have covered middle school students.
Cobb said he expects screen-time limits to be taken up again when the state legislature convenes in February next year. In May, the legislature set Jan. 14 as the deadline for filing bills for the coming session.