LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A southern Indiana school is making a change to help combat phone addiction amongst its students.
The constant notifications coming from cellphones are more than just a distraction.
Sebastian Phillips, an eighth grader at Community Montessori in New Albany, said he sees his classmates sneaking their phones out during class.
"They're decent at hiding it, but it's mostly under the table," Phillips said.
Community Montessori is now leading the charge locally to keep phones out of the classroom.
"I was kind of glad, because I've noticed a lot of people using their phone when (they're) supposed to be doing their work," said Phillips.
The school recently bought hundreds of Yondr pouches, which cost $30 each. Starting next school year, teens will be required to keep their phone in the pouch during the school day. It then stays in their backpack until the end of the day, when they'll use a magnet to unlock the pouch.
A national study on teen health found about 1 in 5 teens reported symptoms of anxiety or depression.
Many educators feel cellphones are a big part of that problem.
"Younger adolescents, older adolescents, are struggling with mental health specifically," Community Montessori Leader Barbara Burke Fondren said. "Taking their phones is like taking part of their body."
While some parents worry about being able to reach their kids in an emergency, Phillips' dad isn't worried.
"I don't feel any threat that way," said Joe Phillips. "You have to trust your school."
Moki Washington's daughter Mara is only 3 years old, so while he doesn't have to worry about the cellphone craze just yet, he hopes the pouches will be widely used by the time his daughter is a teenager.
"If they're at school to learn stuff, yeah, a few hours isn't gonna hurt them. Heck, when I was younger, we didn't have that," Washington said.
According to Yondr, right now about one million students use the pouches globally. The company said 83% of schools using the pouches saw an improvement in student engagement.
"Hopefully, years from now, they'll look back and say 'I'm glad I had this opportunity,'" said Burke Fondren.
To learn more about Yondr, click here.
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