Why Tech In Schools Is A Disaster For Children | Sophie Winkleman [ARC 2026]

Actress and campaigner Sophie Winkleman delivered a powerful critique of screens, EdTech, and AI in education, arguing that the technologies reshaping childhood are also undermining imagination, concentration, and deep thinking. Drawing on neuroscience, educational research, and examples from schools around the world, she makes the case for books, handwriting, human teachers, and an "analog education" in a digital age.
With the return of the ARC Conference this June, we are publishing a brand new book — the most comprehensive synthesis of ARC’s philosophy to date. Drawing on Augustine, Tolkien, and a long tradition of civilisational thinking, The Age of Reconstruction charts a path from diagnosis to renewal. While many can point out where things have gone wrong, this book does what most can’t: it lays out a vision of what we must build, how, and why it is still possible.

Praise for The Age of Reconstruction:

"Will Western Civilisation flourish, or flounder? It depends on us, and the decisions we make right now. And Johnny Patterson's wonderful 'The Age of Reconstruction' gives us the formula, based on timeless ideas and wisdom." — Arthur Brooks, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

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Sophie Winkleman is an actress and patron of several charities, including CURE International, the Children's Surgery Foundation, and School-Home Support. She serves on the board for a chain of academy schools in the UK and campaigns against screens for children.