As students of East Los Angeles Renaissance Academy returned to school after Thanksgiving break, they were rewarded with Yondr pouches. From now on, students at ELARA are required to put their phones into the Yondr pouches that seal them until unlocked with a special magnet. The biggest nightmare of these high schoolers finally came true.

“Yondr uses a patented system to create phone-free spaces for artists, educators, organizations, and individuals,” said the Yondr company. At the gate of the school, students are required to put their phones into the pouch and seal them in front of the administration. However, the phone remains in the possession of the students until they are unlocked at the existing gate with Yondr’s special magnet. 

Why is ELARA implementing these Yondr pouches? The answer is simple: students have been more focused on their mobile phones than their school work. The administration has reportedly seen a decline in the performance of students after the COVID-19 pandemic. Quarantine has undoubtedly made everyone attached to their mobile phones. The only solution the ELARA administration could come up with is to take their phones away. With the knowledge that the students of ELARA will repudiate this new phone-free policy, the administration took up the challenge. 

“We understand this will be a challenge at first, so incentives will be provided to help ease the transition,” wrote Francine Avila, the principal of ELARA, in the official announcement that introduced Yondr. The school is coaxing the students to cooperate and maintain a phone-free zone by offering incentives such as fun games and activities during lunch time, free snacks at the gate, raffles with a chance of winning gift cards, and receiving school merchandise. 

What if students rip open the pouch? Well, the pouches were designed so that they can’t be cut with a scissor or easily destroyed. However, if students damage the pouch, they are required to pay a $50 fee to the school. In the first week, frustration lingered in the halls of the school as students tried to open the Yondr pouches. The more they tried, the more the pouches resisted. 

Although students talk of protesting against this new Yondr pouch policy, there has been no action taken as of today. Some would even say that students are enjoying this new phone-free zone as communication between students has increased. As it’s only been 2 weeks since these pouches were introduced, there is not much to report about the statistics of student concentration in the school. This Yondr invasion has been met with both support and criticism. However, the future of Yondr is yet to be determined.