Public schools play a vital role in the development of an educated citizenry. Unfortunately, the rapid adoption of digital technology in schools has negatively transformed what schooling looks like for millions of students. The advance of artificial intelligence into every facet of life further threatens students' ability to summarize, follow the thread of complex arguments, read lengthy texts, and write cogently. The headlong transformation of instruction in American schools hasn't paused to check for effectiveness or impact on students. It's just happened. Pushed along by the swell of our broader digital immersion, individualized screens have become the central figure in many classrooms across the country, accounting for the majority of many students' day. Schools have become the tools of their tools. We need to regain a balance between the tools and the users. Developed through research, interviews, and hundreds of classroom observations, Digital Captives guides educators and policymakers in a five-step process of finding a new balance with actionable, incremental components.