In today’s digital age, the pervasive presence of smartphones has transformed the lives of many—especially the younger generations. With children and teens often spending hours a day glued to devices (7-8 hours is the average of U.S. teens), the need for a reprieve from the constant distraction is viewed as critical by some. 

Enter Graham Dugoni, the founder and CEO of Yondr, a company that says it is dedicated to creating more environments without the constant distraction of phones, including in schools and at events. 

Dugoni founded Yondr in 2014 with the singular vision: “creating more phone-free spaces,” Dugoni says. The inspiration struck him as he recognized that there would likely be downsides to the rapid acceleration and  integration of technology into daily lives. 

“I thought there were going to be a lot of unforeseen consequences, especially for this younger generation of digital natives,” Dugoni says.

Prior to starting Yondr, Dugoni was a professional soccer player. He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from Duke University. It is there and in his teaching abroad that Dugoni says he immersed himself in the works of philosophers like Martin Heidegger and Marshall McLuhan. He took those historical teachings and applied the lessons to more contemporary issues, like technology. 

“To me, the smartphone is radically new, but it’s always a similar theme to all of these technologies that have come before,” Dugoni says.

The fundamental issue that Dugoni articulated was that the access to and speed of information would create a new paradigm, one that he viewed as having a potentially harmful side.

“We see this quick-hitting digital media that just solicits an immediate response,” Dugoni says.

No place in society has this become more apparent or controversial than in K-12 schools, sparking a national debate about the appropriateness of these technologies in the hands of children when they are trying to be taught and learn.

“There’s going to be a need to carve out spaces, especially in schools, where they could experience life for 6 to 8 hours a day without the constant inputs of social media and unwanted recordings and distractions,” says Dugoni.

Multiple pieces of legislation have been filed this year at the Texas legislature to remove phones from schools or during instruction times.  Some argue that the legislative action is an overreaction while others believe it to be of the utmost necessity. 

What is clear to Dugoni is that children in schools are under a constant barrage of content trying to grab their attention and he believes Yondr can provide a valuable service to those institutions seeking to remove phones from schools. 

“The amount of anxiety that is orchestrated through social media is astronomical,” Dugoni says. “We provide the equipment, which is a pouch, and the locking mechanisms. It’s about creating spaces that are conducive to learning and for young people’s development.” 

Yondr’s primary product is the Yondr Pouch, a magnetic pouch that secures a phone, preventing it from being used in a designated area. Once the pouch is locked, it cannot be accessed and the phone will not deliver notifications. Once out of a phone-free space, the pouch can be unlocked and used normally. 

Yondr pouches are used in schools, venues, workplaces, courthouses, music events, and film sets in 35 countries in the world. 

Dugoni believes that Yondr is a solution to the problem of phones in schools because it is impractical to have school officials and teachers try to manage all the phones in the classroom. 

“If you’re trying to put teachers in a position of being the phone police, that creates issues," Dugoni says. “Schools have to have a really clear policy that affects things from bell to bell.” 

The proclaimed benefits of phone-free schools, with or without Yondr pouches, have been widely reported recently. As one example in Texas, Montgomery ISD said teachers say their students are more engaged and their performance has improved. 

While many schools and educators initially receive pushback from students, Dugoni says the students ultimately will embrace the new policies.

“After they get over the hump...we hear there’s a sense of relief that they don’t have to keep up with social media,” says Dugoni.

Dugoni also believes the impacts seen by parents will extend beyond the classroom. 

“And, after a month or two, they notice a change in the pattern of use from their child at home,” he says. “If you want young people to develop critical thinking faculties and be discerning, they have to have the experience of thinking through and having the space to attend to something over a period of time,” says Dugoni.

“It’s not my goal to negate the digital world or roll things back,” Dugon says.” It’s how are we going to move forward in a constructive way and teach kids the difference between the online world and the physical world?”