The new school term is here, but is technology really making our kids smarter, or just more distracted? In 2025, “back to school” means iPads instead of copybooks, interactive whiteboards instead of chalk, and artificial intelligence edging its way into lesson planning. Technology promises to transform education, but it also risks widening the gap between those who can keep up, and those who can’t. 

In this podcast, Ciara Doherty is joined by Newstalk Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly to explore the modern classroom, where innovation and inequality sit side by side. They discuss everything from the rise of interactive learning apps and AI assistants, to the old worries about screen-time, costs and distraction. Along the way, they examine the digital divide that continues to leave some students behind. 

Ciara and Jess also look at the legacy of the pandemic, the controversy over phone pouches, the promises and pitfalls of AI in schools, and concerns about data privacy. And as the school year begins, Jess offers her take on what parents, teachers and students should keep in mind to make technology work for — not against — education. 

Listen to Jess every Saturday evening at 5 on Tech Talk on Newstalk, or catch up anytime on the GoLoud player.