The ubiquity of smartphones has led to some awkward moments from Adele to Rhianna. Now artists such as Alicia Keys and
Shawn Mendes are silencing phones with a lockable pouch called Yondr.
At concerts where Yondr is used, audience members are asked to place their phone in the lockable pouch. Now you still
have your phone, but you can't access it.
The pouches are also catching on with comedians such as Tracy Morgan, Dave Chappelle and Louis C.K. Every single person
was blocking their vision of their actual child. For comedians, the pouch is a way to stop material they're trying out
from popping up onYouTube. They'll take that work which is not finished, and they'll put it up on the Internet. And then
everybody will judge the comic by that set which wasn't meant to be seen in the first place.
But locking phones gets mixed reviews from concert goers.
I think that 100% it is probably one of the best ideas ever created. Yeah, I mean I DJ as well and then I travel in Europe,
and I know for myself and even coming to watch a show, it takes away from the experience.
It also feels like it's kind of free speech. And for a woman, it's for safety, so I like to have my phone.
As the use of phones shows no signs of fading, Yondr is now facing competition from others including Apple, which
recently filed a patent for an infrared device that disables recording and photography.
But Yondr is now expanding into education. At this Ontario High School, the instructor was looking to stop the daily
drama over cell phones.
Well in my experience, the students have fellow students and this population have a hard time regulating themselves. And I
mean even myself, and I'm 30 years old, and when my phone goes off, I want to check that immediately.
Now class starts with students locking them away until the end of day. It took some getting used to.
I was like, "What, wait a pouch? Seriously?"
But it's making a difference.
Last year, I had the phone. I was on YouTube listening to music. I was on Facebook talking
to my girlfriend, right? She's yelling at me for something. I'm paying attention to her. I'm not focusing on my work. So
the phone is put away. I actually completed the work. Wow!
Results that already have other teachers asking about the cell phone taming tool. Eli Glasner, CBC News Toronto.