Chloe Cabatuan | Writer
October 17, 2025
Imagine walking into school and instead of being able to go on your phone and scroll before class, you must wait in line to lock your phone away for the next seven hours, creating a device-free campus. For some, this is a reality. Across many school districts, Yondr phone pouches are in place, keeping phones locked away during school hours. At our school, phone charts are in place to keep pencils in hand instead of phones—but what if that isn’t enough?
School districts may view the phone pouches as a benefit when keeping students off their phones becomes an issue. In device-free settings, there is more engagement and management. When teachers do not have to fight students to keep phones away during educational time, they can focus on their job: teaching. With this newfound focus on learning, Yondr’s team found there was a 74% increase in student behavior, as well as an 83% increase in student engagement. Less screen time doesn’t just benefit teachers and school environments, but the students, too. By focusing on work in class, there is an improvement in grades, as well as creating real connections outside of the ones online, which boosts mental health.
The idea of phone pouches is practical; if the results are improvements for students and class settings, then the action would be an obvious choice. Mason Steinorth, a senior at SCHS, thought that “the phone pouches are good because they help people focus on their work,” showing the benefits that the phone pouches would bring to the school; however, “it still doesn’t feel right. It’s like when you don’t have your car keys and realize you aren’t in control.” His tone towards the topic shows how the loss of independence and autonomy occurs when being forced to keep your phone away for many hours without choice. The comparison of being without car keys reflects the idea that locking away phones would be an action that would take away something that you might not use all the time, but is still vital in certain cases.
We live in a digital world, where not having a phone is seen as a downside rather than a benefit. Phones aren’t only used for TikTok and Instagram, but also for school work. Teaching depends on students having apps like Canvas and 5-Star on their devices; by keeping phones locked away limits the accessibility on campus. Limiting the access of these apps to a school-issued chromebook during school hours makes it harder for students to submit assignments that have to submit multiple files. Not to mention the cost for schools to enforce the phone pouches, with each costing $30, it makes the action for a school of nearly 3,000 a costly decision when the money can be spent elsewhere. A Yondr phone pouch locks away a student’s phone, making it restricted for the entire time at school, even if there is an emergency. Most students’ first instinct is to call or text their parents in an emergency, with the phone pouches that make it impossible to do without breaking it, which carries a $30 replacement fee to do so.
When asked, Mr. Vacek, a teacher and coach at SCHS, believed that phones aren’t that big of an issue in class settings, expressing the idea that a phone pouch is simply unnecessary. Phones are helpful tools in certain situations and shouldn’t be forced away for several hours of the day. Mr. Vacek stated that students should already respectively manage their phone time because it’s a “lesson of self-control,” implying that the problem of phone use in class is an overstated one.
The intention behind the phone pouches was for schools to crack down on the excessive use of phones that points as a distraction in order for students to improve their focus. However, the action poses an issue of student independence, safety, and access to learning tools. Phones aren’t just devices for distractions; they are needed for schoolwork and communication. Seen from both student and teacher perspectives, schools should focus more on responsible use instead of a ban that questions the balance of student choice and structure. Through actions like these, it would make students take accountability and create environments for connection and focus.
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