With California Assembly Bill 3216 now in effect, schools are required to eliminate student phone use during class hours. For administrators, this is a necessary step toward creating better learning environments, but the reality is clear—parents will push back. Read here about the Phone-Free School Act signed by Gavin Newsom on September 23, 2024.

Concerns about safety, access, and emergencies can make implementing these policies feel like an uphill battle. However, with the right tools, schools can enforce phone-free policies while addressing parent concerns head-on. Mission Darkness created Generation Faraday bags tailored to meet the needs of schools in offering a straightforward, reliable solution that minimizes distractions and keeps students on task.

Even with a well-planned rollout, administrators should expect questions and concerns from parents. Here’s how Generation Faraday bags help address the most common ones:

“How will I contact my child in an emergency?”

• Schools can use platforms like ParentSquare to allow parents to send urgent messages directly to school staff, ensuring prompt responses.
• Phones can be accessed immediately if needed during emergencies, providing quick access without unnecessary delays.

“What if my child needs their phone after school?”

• Phones are only kept in the bags during class hours. At the end of the day or during designated breaks, students regain full access to their devices for after-school activities or safety during their commute.

“What happens if my child’s phone is damaged in the bag?”

• Faraday bags are designed to securely store phones without causing damage. Students retain possession of their devices throughout the day, reducing the chance of loss or mishandling.

“How do these bags compare to systems like Yondr?”

• Unlike Yondr, which focuses on physically locking phones, Generation Faraday bags block all signals—cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth—silencing notifications and pings. This reduces distractions even further, allowing students to focus fully on their learning.
• Generation Faraday bags offer more flexibility since teachers can return phones immediately if needed, without the hassle of unlocking devices or relying on proprietary tools. Additionally, they require no subscription fees or ongoing maintenance, making them more cost-effective over time.

“How will students react to this change?”

• Schools that have implemented Faraday bags report that students quickly adapt to the new routine. Since students keep their phones with them, anxiety about device separation is minimized. The lack of notifications also reduces the temptation to check phones during class, resulting in improved behavior and focus.g.

With the signing of California's new cell phone law, school administrators face the task of finding solutions that balance focus and safety. Generation Faraday bags present a practical, cost-effective, and safe alternative that satisfies the needs of students, parents, and teachers. Unlike lockable pouches, which have proven problematic in several ways, Faraday bags provide a more comprehensive solution.

Lockable pouches may prevent students from physically accessing their phones, but they don’t stop incoming calls or notifications. This means phones can still ring, vibrate, or make noise inside the pouches, distracting students and disrupting the class. Additionally, students can't silence these alerts without accessing the pouch, leading to ongoing disturbances during lessons.

Generation Faraday bags eliminate this issue entirely by blocking all signals, ensuring that students don’t receive calls or notifications at all. This leads to a fully distraction-free environment, where phones are both inaccessible and silent. At the same time, students can quickly access their phones if needed in emergency situations, offering a balanced solution that promotes both focus and safety.

• Enhanced Focus and Learning: Without phone distractions, students are able to fully engage in lessons, leading to better concentration and material retention.
• Improved Academic Performance: Studies show that even the presence of a phone, when not in use, lowers cognitive capacity. Students perform better on attention-demanding tasks when phones are stored away.
• Better Classroom Management: Teachers report fewer behavioral issues and more positive engagement when phones are not present, creating a more focused and productive classroom environment.
• Fosters Participation and Focus: Using Faraday bags to store phones helps create a distraction-free space, encouraging students to participate and focus on their studies.

By incorporating Faraday bags, schools can minimize distractions, improve learning outcomes, and enhance the overall classroom atmosphere.