Viveros: The High Price of Silence: Why Yondr Pouches Are a Step Backwards

WOODBURY – Students are called down to the gym for a school-wide assembly. The usual is gone over by administration, new rules, new class credits, and upcoming events students need to know about for a new semester. But one subject has students on the edge of their seats: Yondr phone pouches. 

The latest invention to get kids off their distracting phones during the school day. Seven hours, no contact, and a locked up phone. 

Long hours with Zero Contact

Yondr phone pouches are magnetically locked electronic pouches that students are to put in when entering school and get opened when leaving. 

If they are instated at Nonnewaug High School then numerous students will constantly meet the challenge of not reaching parents. Administrators suggest going to the main office to telephone parents, but that simply won’t pass for many students. 

“If I need to let my mom know I forgot my jersey, I am not going to go down to the office for a little problem,” said Tatum Kociszewski, a freshman at Nonnewaug. 

Many students through-out the day simply text their parents. I know I do. Whether I want to ask my mom a question or let her know about something coming up, I need to tell her about my after school activities being cancelled or rescheduled. 

“I text my mom when I have to ask her questions about classes or if I need something after school or during the day,” said Kociszewski. “Not being able to contact my parents all day would mess up most of my rides, and plans after school.” 

Waste of Money

Everyone can agree that there is always something that they could purchase that would improve their lives. At any school, there is always something you can put money toward to improve the academic environment. But, purchasing Yondr Phone Pouches isn’t a wise investment. 

To purchase their “helpful” phone jails, it will cost roughly $22,000 to outfit all classrooms with these secure phone holders. That is just to purchase the pouches which cost around $30 each. 

Take a wild guess where that money is coming from? Tax-payer dollars. Woodbury citizens pay a large sum of money in taxes. So why put their money towards a useless purchase? When it could be used to add beneficial improvements to the school that students encounter constantly.

“I think that money like that could go towards things like speakers on the fields,” said Laila Jones, a junior at NHS who sees the value in athletic upgrades on the field hockey and lacrosse field. 

Learning to live with Phones

Students who are used to having their phone taken away in school are going to get overwhelmed by the freedom of having your phone in college. 

Students at Nonnewaug High School don’t know life without electronics. Many adults may agree that we are so involved in technology compared to “back in the day.” But truly, phones aren’t going to go away any time soon, so we need to learn when it is appropriate versus not appropriate to use them.  

They aren’t going to learn when it is appropriate to be on their phone or not during studies. 

“Being able to just put them away into a storage holder like we have now is a great strategy to teach kids how to separate themselves from their phones, without locking them up during the day. That helps as a nice bridge,” said science instructor, Joshua Kornblut. “Where you might go to college and you’re going to have to make that decision if I need to take my phone away right now because it’s not the right time.”

Getting to high school brings a huge feeling of relief. Many incoming freshmen feel that high school gives them many more opportunities, but they won’t allow us the freedom of handling our own phone situation. 

Dodging the Jail Cells isn’t that Hard for Students

As you can tell by now, these phone pouches will bring some furious reactions from students.

Students will rip open pouches, buy a magnet to open it themselves, or simply come up with their own tactic to bring upon freedom to their phones. 

“I would probably try to contribute, and find a way to open them. But do not do too much so I don’t get in trouble,” said Kociszewski. Along with Kociszewski there will be students who find a way around a new phone rule. 

“I think that people will try to find a way around it like putting in a burner phone or breaking the pouches themselves,” says Kociszewski. 

According to an article by CT Mirror, “All fifth through eighth graders at Barnard [magnet school in New Haven, Connecticut] are required to put their phones in Yondr pouches when they walk through the school’s front doors. They can then carry the sealed-away phones, in the pouches, in their pockets or bags over the course of the day.” 

What’s stopping students from going to the bathroom with the pouch in their pocket or in their backpack, to go and rip it open?

Students may spend more time trying to find a way around the Yondr Pouches than they do for school work.

 “We will re-evaluate how things worked this year and assess the potential need for the Yondr pouches,” said dean of students, Declan Curtin. “We hope that our strategies will avoid the need to purchase Yondr pouches.”

For those of you reading this article on your phone–don’t lock it up. Give students a chance to handle phones responsibly. 

This is an opinion piece written by freshman Catherine Viveros.