Ever since I came into high school we have used Yondrs. Unlike the classes before us, we have never been able to experience the freedom of having your phone unlocked throughout the school year. This editorial most likely will have no effect or change on the way Chester High School views Yondrs and the phone policy, but this is something I have thought about many times throughout my high school career. Hopefully, some kind of change can be implemented for the future classes of Chester High.
If I have these opinions, I need evidence for my case and, although it would be cool to get on your phone whenever you wanted, there still has to be some sort of structure. I remember that my brother told me they would use phone pouches before the Yondrs were implemented in his Senior year. These pouches could be used the same way a Yondr is. A teacher could ask their students to place their phones in the phone pouch until they are done with their lesson. The main concern with this idea is that kids might not put their phones into the phone pouch. I believe that the same current phone policy should be enforced if a student is caught with their phone outside of the phone pouch after a teacher asked them to put it away. Even with the Yondrs, there are still students who keep their phone outside their Yondr pouches or don’t even have a Yondr pouch at all. This isn’t the only reason that the school should get rid of the pouches. With the recent increase in mass shootings, it would be beneficial to be able to quickly access your phone. In the scenario that an active shooter came into the building, students could access their phones quicker in order to contact emergency services or even text your loved ones letting them know what is going on.
Yondr pouches have many pros like keeping students on task. The Yondrs also have many cons, which outweigh the pros. A school without Yondrs would yield a much more fun and safe environment.