ARE LOCKING DEVICES TO HOLD YOUR CELLPHONE DURING PERFORMANCES OR CLASS IN YOUR FUTURE?

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

Story and photos by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

August 1, 2021 (La Jolla) Radio City Music Hall and select Broadway shows, in New York City and now, locally, at a La Jolla Playhouse performance in late July, products to “lock up” cellphones and smart watches were used to physically stop recording or taking pictures of the show.

A product known as Yondr was used in La Jolla which witnessed arts patrons line up, have their silenced devise put into a manufactured pouch, then sealed by the staff. All patrons had possession of their electronic devices but could not use them to record the performance.

The process went smoothly and quickly at the La Jolla Playhouse.

The move by theatres to lock phones up is not that new. In a story by the Wall Street Journal the subject matter was written about in 2019.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/theaters-new-way-to-silence-cellphones-lock-them-up-11569679200

After 2019, (when the above story was written) the pandemic changed the performing arts scene thereby slowing down the practice of using the product.

A new advisory may be issued to audiences to arrive slightly earlier to address any time delays.

Currently, live performances are back on the calendar. It remains to be seen for how long with the Delta variant raging through the nation.

Not just performing arts facilities are eyeing the use of the Yondr pouch----schools are also considering it for distracted students, or already using it.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-08-29-the-surprisingly-low-tech-way-schools-are-keeping-students-off-tech

Will this be a new trend with business meetings and political events? Only time will tell.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.