So you have chosen to fight the power, but you’re not ready to break the rules, such as MISCHIEF or SABOTAGE. Sometimes resistance requires a lot of loud people breaking the rules, and sometimes resistance is just quiet following of the rules, precisely as they are written. It is our duty to fight oppression however we may. So, with that in mind, let me be your guide to making the rules work for you, and be a headache for those who institute them. This is written with schools in mind, but many of these can be applied to Yondr use in public spaces as well.
Before we get into the rules, keep in mind this is not something that will work overnight. Think of it as laying siege to the Yondr castle; it will take time for these methods to work, and they work best when used by large groups and often in combination with the other methods. Control of a group rests on a shaky foundation of obedience through expediency, which is to say people obey the rules in ways that cause the least trouble. The idea of malicious compliance is to hoist those in control by their own petard. When people obey the rules in the least expedient way, it makes those same rules create more problems and more chaos than they are meant to prevent.
There will be downsides to this method. Those in charge will do everything to threaten and cajole you into obeying in expedient ways. They will come up with plans to speed you up or force you into compliance their way. This is where your tolerance for annoyance and your adaptability comes in, and of course, don’t be afraid to remind the power structure, in as loud a voice as possible, that you are obeying their rules. Doing all of these all of the time can drag a school to a crawl, but they can also be difficult to maintain. This is about keeping your morale high while breaking the will of your oppressors. So, using one, two, or a few of these steps and then switching up regularly, will keep the administration on their toes, constantly scrambling to keep up, but keep the spotlight off of you. You’re simply trying to obey the rules, after all, and encouraging all your classmates to do the same.
These rules are taken from the boilerplate FAQ sent to parents.
What is a YONDR pouch?
The Yondr pouch is a secure bag that is used to store an individual’s cell phone and/or Bluetooth devices. It is secured and unlocked with a special magnetic locking device.
Our Take
The Yondr pouch is a tool of a fascistic administration who are duped by conmen who sold them on misplaced nostalgia. It’s likely that your school has spent a significant amount of money on this.
Why has the District decided to use the Yondr system?
We want our students to be engaged in their learning and appropriate interpersonal social interaction throughout the day. Phones have become a distraction within the school day for students, and for teachers who must constantly monitor students for phone use during class and school activities. “Our goal is to minimize distractions and maximize student engagement and learning”.
Malicious Compliance
Talk to other students, even those outside your usual friend group. Talk to them about the wonders of Malicious Compliance.
Malicious Compliance
Teachers are looking for phone use? Well, as good law abiding and rule following students, we must always do as we are told. There are a few phone substitutes, such as a bricked phone, a “no-phone” or a piece of cardboard painted black with a piece of packing tape over it, placed into a phone case.
The Goal
If they have to chase down a bunch of fake phones, it will be more disruption to their lessons, and they can’t pretend that having the pouches solves anything. The idea here is not to get caught with your actual phone, but to let the teachers use up instructional time chasing phantoms. Don’t engage.
How will students receive a Yondr pouch?
In January of 2024, all students in grades 9-12 will be assigned a Yondr pouch to secure their phone and/or Bluetooth device(s). Students are responsible for the Yondr pouch at all times and for bringing the pouch to and from school each day and keeping them in good condition.
How is the “end of the day” defined?
The end of the day is defined by the last academic class period of the day and after students have been dismissed from campus.
What if I want to reach my child during the school day?
We want our students to be engaged in their learning. If you need to contact your child during the school day, please contact the main office. An administrative assistant can make sure your child receives the message.
Malicious Compliance
Have your parent, guardian, Uncle, Grandma, whoever, call the school to tell them the things that they would normally text you. Nothing sensitive, of course, but if they call to chat, who are you to argue with the import?
The Goal
The school’s secretaries and administrative assistants are now YOUR secretaries and administrative assistants. The secret here is that the administration would not be able to function if they had to actually do the work of a school. That is on the shoulders of the secretaries and administrative assistants who answer calls, fill out paperwork, follow up on absences, and generally keep the paperwork flowing. We want to interrupt that flow where we can, and grind it to a halt. A daily headache for the people in the office is going to translate to a headache for the administration who must now wait until your business is done before theirs can be done.
Will my child’s phone be locked away?
The Yondr pouch does not change our policy, instead, it is a tool to help enforce it. Your child will put their phone in the Yondr pouch and keep it with them, in their backpack, throughout the instructional day. When the final bell rings, students will unlock the pouch to access their phones when exiting the building.
Malicious Compliance
Double check the approved policy as written by the school board. Often times there are allowances for use of phones during lunch or breaks. Bring a copy and ask the administration about this, and about why they lied to parents.
The Goal
As good little rule followers, we want to be sure that we are following the correct rules, the ones approved by the student handbook, not the ones shoved in halfway through the school year. It’s important to be sure that the administration is aware of the questions you have.
Malicious Compliance
Make sure your pouch is in an inaccessible or difficult to reach part of your bag/backpack. Searching for it is even more fun. Extra Credit: How many lines do they have to check you in to school and be sure that your phones are locked up? You really only need one.
The Goal
The more of a headache and hassle it is for the administration to lock and unlock the phones for the whole of the student body, the less they will want to do it. The more people who do this, the better it works, and if students around you get agitated at the delay, be sure to share with them exactly WHY you are engaged in this activity.
Will my student’s phone be safe?
Students are in possession of their phone - in their Yondr pouch - for the entire school day. We will advise students to store the pouch in their backpacks where it is completely safe. The pouch itself is made of a soft fabric padding that provides protection to the phone while stored.
Malicious Compliance
Safe? In a student’s backpack? I may be older, but backpacks are hardly safe, and because these are soft pouches, it’s possible for delicate and expensive electronics to be damaged. Let’s make sure teachers can check it. Regularly.
The Goal
Technically, this is mischief. I’m including it here because we are being told that the phones will be “safe” in the pouch. Phones don’t grow on trees, after all.
Mischief
Words like “their pouch” and “given” really make it feel like this is a gift to the students. Feel free to customize it to your hearts content!
I have a tracker on my child’s phone, does it have to be off during the day?
If the phone is in a pouch and not interfering with the instructional day, a student can either turn it off or put it on airplane mode.
Malicious Compliance
Your parent will have to check in regularly at the office to be sure of where you are.
The Goal
Something to note here, this actually does not appropriately answer the question, as a phone being off or in airplane mode is going to interfere with a tracker. Your parents worry about you, and We’d hate for anything to happen to our sweet little rule-following angels. Ask them to call you regularly, especially during your least favorite classes, to be sure that you’re well, you’re happy, you’re eating enough, that they know your location and are aware of your day’s schedule.
Does this apply to smartwatches and other devices like air pods?
Students will be required to store their Bluetooth-capable devices in the pouch with their phone. If a student requires headphones for instruction, those will be provided.
Malicious Compliance
We carry a lot of Bluetooth enabled device(s) with us. Headphones, earbuds, insulin monitors, computers. Some of these are more difficult to put into a Yondr pouch. Even the largest can only fit your average slab phone. Don’t fret! With a little creativity, due to the shoddy nature of the yonder pouch’s construction, you can make your own to fit other things. If you don’t quite have the skills, other locking mechanisms can also work to help you “reduce distractions.” Luggage locks, child safety locks, and other locking devices can be added to a pouch or a device itself to keep you from using it during class.
The Goal
Locking phones away are a little snowball at the top of a slippery slope. Let’s take a slide down and see what else we can lock away! Unlocking everything you need at the beginning of class will eat into instructional time, but you’re getting ahead of the next set of rules and locks they will be conned into buying by some California start-up conman.
Will my student still be able to listen to music or use headphones?
Students will be able to use headphones with cords to connect to their Chromebooks. All Bluetooth devices must be stored in the Yondr pouch during the school day.
Malicious Compliance
Looks like the Chromebook is your new music device. Be sure to share all your favorite (School Friendly) tunes with everyone in the hallway.
What if there is a school emergency?
In the case of a school emergency, we direct our students to safety first, following our District emergency procedures.
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In the event of an emergency lockdown, school staff will direct students following our Previously established emergency procedures. Student cell phone use during this time has the potential to endanger the safety of the student using the phone and all students or staff within that classroom.
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Students and staff practice lockdown procedures by conducting drills throughout the school year. Families will be contacted by school staff as soon as possible if an emergency situation occurs on campus. Yondr pouches will be unlocked as soon as it is determined that it is safe to do so.
Malicious Compliance
Before any emergency can happen, be sure that you have spoken up as much as possible and encouraged others to do the same. Point out emergencies where students having access to communication has saved lives. Share your concerns with Media. Ask your parents, guardians, grandparents, etc, if they would go somewhere without their phone or any way to contact someone in an emergency.
The Goal
As much as they claim to hate cell phones, the Boomers and Gen Xers are clinging to their phones like it’s the last war movie in the bargain bin. Many couldn’t imagine being without them, and almost ALWAYS cite emergencies, and “just in case” as the reason. Also, Boomers and Gen Xers are running the Media companies, and most of the media time spent on YONDR pouches is fart smelling about how clever they are getting the kids off those gosh darn phones. You won’t be spending an emergency taking selfies, or texting about a lovey specimen of your desired gender. Just to be serious for a moment, I’m a mom. I don’t want to think about an emergency, but always in my heart are these words: “If I don’t make it…” because that could be the last message a parent gets from their child, but what if that child had not been able to get their phone because some authoritarian big head was sold on the idea they could turn back the clock.
- During an Emergency: None. Focus on getting out of the situation.
- After an Emergency: Do not be silent about the increased danger because the students were not able to use their phones. Speak to everyone, especially the media.
The Reason
As above, you need to be loud. You need to let them know that even though you have made it through a dangerous situation, you were in MORE danger. Cellular evidence has been used in cases of school violence and other school emergencies to get help where it needs to go or provide evidence for prosecution and for posterity.
What happens if a student’s pouch is lost or damaged?
The District will provide all students with one initial pouch supplied by the building administrative team. If a student loses or damages a pouch, they will be charged a $25.00 replacement fee. Students who forget their pouch will be required to turn in their cell phones along with any Bluetooth-capable devices to the main office. Pickup will require a guardian to retrieve the device(s) from the building principal(s).
Malicious Compliance
Forget your pouch(es). Every. Day.
The Goal
The problem with this is that the school has now become the custodian of your private personal goods. Will your cell phone and other device(s) remain safe and secure during the school day? Also, will they be dealing with the several alarms that you have set to remind you to get to class? Now imagine if they had 50 such cell phones. Few things change the working of a school faster than frazzled office staff.
What happens if a student leaves campus with their device(s) still locked in the YONDR pouch?
Parents and/or guardians will be required to reach out to the building administrative team and make arrangements to have the pouch unlocked. Administrators will not be required to meet outside of normal school hours.
Malicious Compliance
Don’t leave until your pouch is unlocked. Just like when we got them locked, delay, slow down, and otherwise kink-up the process of getting the phone unlocked.
The Goal
Remember, you’re not taking YOUR time, you’re taking THEIRS. Legally, someone has to remain on campus as long as a student remains on campus, and that someone is usually an administrator. That means that if you miss the bus because you are waiting in a long line to get your pouch unlocked, they are now going to have to find a way home for you. Be sure it’s at their expense, and that if they have to call or have you call for a ride, that THEY have to explain why you need a ride. Also, it’s no fun for teachers to spend some of their student-free hours, time that they get to go home early (or get to their second jobs/side hustles/pick up their own kids), because they decided to add an extra layer of difficulty to the process of leaving school for the day. In fact, slowing this line down can be even better than slowing the morning line down, because a lot of people count on being out by a certain time in order to get to work, pick up small children, or what have you. And of course, if you are late, be sure to let everyone know it’s because you were waiting for the Nazis to return your freedom to you, you know, like Nazis like to do.
