(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – In a new example of senseless spending of public money, school districts nationwide have paid $2.5 million to purchase “special pouches” that prevent students from accessing their cell phones and other electronic devices during class.
Educational systems across 41 states in the U.S. have allocated approximately $2.5 million in the last eight years for the acquisition of unique pouches designed to restrict student access to cell phones and similar devices during class sessions.
These pouches are a product of Yondr, a Californian startup, NBC News reports, as cited by Newsmax.
These pouches are reusable, sealed magnetically, and can only be opened with a specific magnet, effectively preventing students from accessing their devices with ease.
The database Govspend, which tracks government purchases and contracts, reveals that most of these expenditures occurred post-May 2022.
This trend mirrors the escalating concerns regarding the impact of smartphone usage on children and the extensive duration for which these devices are utilized in educational settings.
Yondr’s CEO, Graham Dugoni, reflects on the inception of these pouches in 2014, noting the then-modest apprehension regarding the amount of time children and teenagers spent on their phones.
“At the time, I was going around door-to-door. I had 500 pouches in the back of my car, and I’d go around to schools during the day and concert venues at night,” he recounted.
Initially, these pouches gained popularity in entertainment venues like concerts and comedy shows, where artists observed that phones detracted from the live experience.
Early supporters of Yondr included well-known personalities like comedians Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock, and musician Jack White.
However, schools were initially hesitant, preferring to integrate more technology rather than limit it. This perspective, as Dugoni noted, has since shifted.
Recently, two senators introduced a bill advocating for studies investigating the effects of cellphone usage in K-12 classrooms.
Concurrently, several school districts are pursuing legal action against social media giants such as Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, attributing rising costs to the extensive use of these platforms.
Pew Research Center surveys indicate a significant increase in constant online presence among teenagers, nearly doubling since 2014-2015.
Moreover, a recent survey reveals that 95% of teenagers (ages 13-17) have a smartphone.
The pervasive nature of these devices is further highlighted by the finding from Common Sense Media that young people (ages 11-17) receive an average of 237 notifications daily, with a quarter occurring during school hours.
