By Kaia Costa
Yondr pouches. This taboo subject has become quite the controversy at Westmont for the 2026–2027 school year. Rumors have spread about “district norms” and California federal laws—but do we really know the truth? Reality has set in; our anxious attachment to our cell phones has been swept out from under us. Let’s take a closer look at these contentious little devices.
As you can imagine, many students are left distraught after locking away their devices, constantly searching for loopholes to avoid it. Although teachers may view this upheaval as the typical contumacious attitude of high school students, many of us are simply trying to adjust to being in a device-free environment for six hours a day. What may seem like a simple procedure may not be so simple.
From a teacher’s perspective, the appeal of Yondr pouches is understandable. Phones can be a major distraction, and teachers often lose valuable class time reminding students to put them away or dealing with students who refuse to comply. With Yondr, that responsibility is essentially eliminated; teachers no longer have to monitor every notification, text, or social media scroll happening under a desk. However, the convenience for teachers does not necessarily justify the restriction placed on students. Teacher Gabe Nitro argues that Yondr pouches create more problems than they solve, as students find ways to bypass the policy and teachers are forced to spend valuable instructional time policing phones. Instead of focusing on teaching, teachers have taken on the additional responsibility of enforcing the phone policy (Edsurge). A blanket policy assumes that all students will misuse their phones, regardless of whether they have demonstrated responsible behavior. Instead of addressing problematic phone use individually, Yondr places the same restriction on everyone.
For students, the sudden loss of phone access has been met with less enthusiasm. Going from having a phone readily available throughout the day to having it locked away for six hours is a major adjustment. Phones are not just a source of entertainment; they are also used to communicate with family, check schedules, coordinate transportation, and handle responsibilities outside of school. Students who rarely use their phones during class are now subject to the same restrictions as those who constantly do. The real question is, how much of a difference do these pouches really make? A recent article, “The Effects of School Phone Bans: National Evidence from Lockable Pouches,” explains that Yondr Pouches have had no statistically proven impact on standardized test scores for high schoolers. The frustration is not necessarily about wanting to scroll through social media during class—it is about feeling that students have lost the ability to make responsible choices for themselves. If the goal is to teach students responsibility, taking away the opportunity to practice may not be the best place to start.
Obviously, as a student, I wasn’t thrilled to hear about this policy at first—but I must say, there is something refreshing about looking out into the quad and seeing a million different conversations circulating at once. That doesn’t necessarily mean I believe high school students are incapable of regulating their phone usage at school on their own. Yondr pouches may have been introduced to solve a problem, but they have created frustrations for both students and teachers in the process. If the goal is to teach responsibility, perhaps it is time to trust students to learn how to manage their phones rather than simply taking them away.