The role of tablets in education

Yesterday I wrote about "Tablet Communication Education Day", which falls on November 20th annually. It got me thinking about the role of tablets in education in Japan. And pondering what the future might hold. Thankfully in Japan, the use of tablets is quite limited. My children, in both elementary and secondary level, use mainly school books and copy books, and only use tablets a couple of times a week, for about an hour each time. 

I have family living in various countries around the world. Including a sibling in London, England. And it would seem England loses (or wins depending on which way you look at it) for being the most tablet reliant in public schools. My sister's children who are in secondary school do not have any school books. They don't even bring copy books to school. Their education on the school premises is mainly done on electronic devices. After doing a little bit of research online, it would seem that not all schools are completely book free in England yet, but there are an increasing number of schools like theirs in recent years,

Interestingly, Sweden, that once embraced digital learning, has moved back to traditional pen-and-paper methods due to concerns about declining literacy and concentration skills.  I would also imagine using a tablet all day isn't good for the eyes or the brain, among other concerns. The only substantial benefit I can think of for my sister's children is that they are not lugging an heavy bag around all day. But overall I feel the pros of digital learning are far fewer than the cons. I would rather see Japan go in the direction of Sweden than England. What do you think?