🐴 The case for MORE screens?

"Not all screen time is created equal," says Outschool CEO. See why the distinction matters, and which classes are revolutionizing how kids learn. PLUS: Dave Ramsey's "worth test" for college.

Author

Charlie Deist
May 02, 2025

Just 11 days (!) until the launch of our new book, Open Education: How to Reimagine Learning, Ignite Curiosity, and Prepare Your Kids for Success. Join us Tuesday, May 13 at 12:30pm MT for a 45-minute live Q&A launch event and get massive launch-day discounts and exclusive bonuses available only to live attendees!

IN THIS EDITION:

🍎 Why not all screen time is created equal (and we're looking at it all wrong)
🍎 Dave Ramsey on the real value test for college education
🍎 Nine weird Outschool classes you'd never find in traditional school
🍎 The one book that calms every open education parent's biggest fear

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💡 DEEP DIVE

THE CASE FOR MORE (OF THE RIGHT) SCREENS

According to The Wall Street Journal, students now spend an average of 98 minutes daily on school-issued devices. In 6th grade, it's over 2 hours and 20 minutes—more than a third of the school day.

Parents and teachers are worried. Comment sections fill with fear:

"Screens are the new smoking."

"It's the end of the world as we know it."

But Outschool founder and CEO Amir Nathoo offers a crucial distinction most miss: Not all screen time is created equal.

"Just watching YouTube is completely different from building a virtual world or learning a tool," he explains.

The difference is visible in the children themselves:

"If a kid spends an hour watching YouTube videos, they have a different look on their face and need a few minutes to detox," OpenEd CEO Isaac Morehouse observed after watching his son complete an Outschool “Modding with Minecraft,” and coming away brimming with creativity and excitement.

“You could not convince me that was a bad use of screen time," Morehouse said.

This connects with what Nathoo calls "networked schooling"—connecting children with specialized teachers and learning experiences across platforms rather than relying on a single institution.

Of course, we have a name for this too: open education.

The box is closed if you're in one school all day, every day. Anyone doing two or more education approaches has opened the box, even if just a crack.

The irony? While we worry about kids' screen time, it's often adults who model the worst habits.

As Nathoo observes, "We blame our kids for our issues," with Morehouse adding he's seen parents in their thirties and forties on their phones the whole time at kids’ soccer games.

The solution isn't necessarily fewer screens—it's better ones, used more intentionally.

🔍 THOUGHTS WE'RE PONDERING

THE WORTH TEST FOR COLLEGE

When a young woman told Dave Ramsey she wanted to attend an out-of-state university (tripling her cost) because "It's a pretty town," his response was blunt: "That would be known as stupid."

The college debate isn't yes/no—it's about value. "Think about what you'll get for what you pay. Is this in your budget? Am I getting quality for what I'm paying?"

THE LEGO LESSON

Like LEGO's interchangeable blocks that build almost anything, open education provides simple, flexible building blocks for learning. As Matt and Isaac write in their upcoming book, "The key isn't finding every possible resource—it's identifying the right ones for your child's interests and needs."

BEYOND SIDES

The wisest families don't pick sides—they pick what works. Public, private, hybrid, homeschool, unschool... There's no right tribe. Only right fit.

Teens choosing trades over tuition → (The 74 Million)

🛠️ TOOLS OF THE WEEK

MONEY SKILLS SCHOOLS DON'T TEACH

Ramsey Solutions' homeschool curriculum is coming to the OpenEd marketplace! This program for grades 8-12 teaches saving, budgeting, debt avoidance, and investment basics—skills most adults learn only after making costly mistakes.

THE BOOK THAT CALMS PARENTS' BIGGEST FEAR

Every day Isaac talks to parents worried about their children being "on track." Dr. Peter Gray's Free to Learn consistently blows their minds. If children with no formal instruction can learn reading and math, then your child doing a twice-weekly co-op certainly can! Everyone needs this perspective.

THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF OUTSCHOOL

When Isaac's son wanted to learn Minecraft modding, he found a six-week Outschool class. The result? His son learned to create custom blocks and ended up teaching Isaac.

Here are three classes you'd never find in traditional school:

  • Cryptozoology: Do Mythical Animals Exist? - Kids practice critical thinking by analyzing "evidence" of creatures like Bigfoot, learning media literacy through monster hunting.

  • Cook Like a Wizard - Harry Potter fans make Exploding Bon Bons and Pumpkin Pasties, combining math, chemistry, and following instructions.

  • Escape from Math Mystery Mountain - Solving for X feels more urgent when you're trapped on a virtual mountain with only math problems as your escape.

Use code OPENED25 for 20% off your next Outschool class.

That’s all for this week!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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