Yondr Phone-Free Zones

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Published: 2.08.2018
Level 4   |   Time: 2:26
Accent: Canadian
Source: CBC (11.15.2016)

A new product called Yondr is being used to restrict phone use during concerts, comedy shows and school.


    

triangle Directions


  1. REVIEW the vocabulary / background.
  2. WATCH the video.
  3. ANSWER the questions.
  4. CHECK your answers. (Show Answers)

triangle Vocabulary


  • ubiquity [n] - being very common
  • a pouch [n] - a small bag
  • lockable [adj] - able to be locked
  • material [n] - work (new jokes)
  • pop up [phv] - suddenly appear
  • a set [n] - an act of comedy or music
  • mixed reviews [exp] - good and bad responses
  • take away from [phv] - diminish
  • free speech [n] - the ability to express oneself without restrictions
  • fade [v] - slowly disappear
  • a patent [n] - a license to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention
  • disable [v] - stop something from working properly
  • daily drama [exp] - everyday problems
  • regulate [v] - control or limit
  • go off [phv] - ring, vibrate or buzz
  • I was like... [exp] - I said...

[n] - noun,  [v] - verb,  [phv] - phrasal verb,  [adj] - adjective,  [exp] - expression


triangle Questions


  1. What did Adele ask people at her concert to do?
    To listen carefully.
    To take pictures of her.
    To stop filming her concert.

  2. What does Rhianna want people at her concert to do with their phones?
    Record her concert.
    Take pictures of her.
    Chat with their friends.

  3. What is Yondr?
    a lockable phone
    a lockable pouch for phones
    a lock that you can put on a phone

  4. Which pop stars are using Yondr at their concerts?
    Dave Chappelle
    Alicia Keys
    Shawn Mendes
    Rhianna
    Tracy Morgan
    Louis C. K.

  5. Which comedians are using Yondr at their shows?
    Dave Chappelle
    Alicia Keys
    Shawn Mendes
    Rhianna
    Tracy Morgan
    Louis C. K.

  6. Where do people put the pouch after they put their phone inside?
    They put it in a special box.
    They give it to the concert staff.
    They keep it.

  7. Why do comedians not like to be recorded during their sets?
    They lose money.
    Their set might be unfinished work.
    They don't like being shared on YouTube.

  8. Why does the woman not like having to use Yondr at concerts?
    She wants to keep her phone for safety.
    She wants to record the concert.
    She wants to post selfies at the concert.

  9. What is Apple developing?
    a lockable pouch
    a phone app
    an infra-red device that stops recording

  10. Why does the teacher like to use Yondr in his classroom?
    It stops phone drama in his classroom.
    He uses his own phone too much.
    He thinks his students are immature.

  11. When do students have to lock away their phones?
    at the end of class
    during tests
    for the whole school day

  12. What did the male student use to do in class before he had to use Yondr?
    He chatted with his girlfriend.
    He checked his dictionary.
    He listened to music.
    He did his school work.

  13. What does he do during class now?
    He chats with his girlfriend.
    He checks his dictionary.
    He listens to music.
    He does his school work.


triangle Discussion


  1. How would you feel about having your phone locked away in a pouch at a concert? Would it make the experience better or worse?
  2. How would locking a phone away during class make studying more effective? How would it make studying less effective?
  3. How could locking a phone away be unsafe for women? Do you agree?
  4. In what other situations or places could the Yondr be useful?

triangle Script



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.