How can schools best manage phones? There’s a lot to suggest that bans can help. But there are big questions about how these will fare over time and the best ways to cultivate good habits in students. For insight into all of this, I reached out to Julia Gustafson, co-founder of The Commons, which seeks to reduce in-school phone distractions without confiscating student devices. Gustafson came to this work from senior roles at YONDR (home of the famed ‘YONDR pouches’), where she oversaw phone-free policies. Gustafson’s background is in public health, including at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. Here’s what she had to say.
—Rick
Rick: Julia, so what exactly is The Commons?
Julia: The Commons is like “airplane mode for schools,” a privacy-first app that reduces phone distractions while students are in school without taking devices away. When students arrive on campus, phones automatically switch into “School Mode,” blocking distracting apps like social media and games while keeping approved academic tools available. It’s designed to align with state mandates and existing phone-free policies while reducing the enforcement burden on teachers, so there’s less disruption and more learning time. We made our app available in August to our Founding School Network of schools serving over 7,600 students across four states—spanning public, charter, and private schools. Schools and districts pay a subscription fee to access The Commons, enabling students to download and use the app at no cost. We are in early stages, but the demand has been great and we’re continuing to grow.
Rick: You’ve suggested that schools should regulate devices but that blanket phone bans aren’t the way to go. Can you explain?
Julia: Most state phone bans and school policies are really aiming for regulation, not prohibition. The goal is typically to keep phones put away during the day, except for academic, medical, or emergency use. The problem is that many policies use overly restrictive or inconsistent language, which makes implementation and enforcement harder than it needs to be. There’s also a larger tension: Technology is part of how students learn and participate in today’s world. A blanket ban sends a mixed message when many phone-based tools—like Google Authenticator—aren’t the problem. Saying “ban the phone” ends up lumping helpful tools in with harmful, attention-grabbing apps. Physical removal also doesn’t solve the real issue that apps and notifications are designed to hijack attention, and students still need support building healthy tech habits.
Rick: What are some of the practical challenges for schools that phone bans can create?
Julia: Blanket phone bans that require collecting or storing phones can turn teachers into the “phone police.” A Texas teacher told us that after a statewide ban passed, many students kept their phones hidden and denied having them. That undermines trust and adds an enforcement burden on teachers. Plus, bans create logistical headaches when phones are legitimately needed for certain classroom activities. Retrieving phones from pouches or lockboxes interrupts class, and unlocking them can trigger a flood of notifications that derails focus.
Rick: This is fascinating. How’d you get into this work?
Julia: I have a background in public health and policy focusing on behavior-change programming. So professionally, this topic has been near and dear to my heart for a while, given its impact on mental health, social connectedness, and physical health. Before The Commons, my co-founder Shannon Godfrey and I worked with thousands of schools worldwide on implementing phone-free policies using physical storage tools. We saw real benefits, like better student engagement and fewer conflicts, but also saw how clunky those approaches can be and how hard they are to sustain. Educators kept asking for less disruption to teaching time, less enforcement burden, and something sustainable for students—not just operationally but developmentally. The question shifted from “How do we take phones away?” to “How do we help students build self-regulation, and what happens when phones are legitimately needed?” Shannon’s ed-tech background and my public health and policy background in behavior change came together. That’s how The Commons took shape.
Rick: On the whole, what are educators and policymakers getting right and wrong about policing devices right now?
Julia: They’re getting the big picture right by taking action. For too long, we’ve accepted unrestricted access to highly distracting, and often harmful, apps that undermine student well-being, school culture, and teachers’ ability to teach. Even imperfect “bans” have been an important first step. Where we’re still missing the mark is what comes next: blending age-appropriate boundaries with reinforcement strategies that help students build agency and self-regulation beyond the school day. Right now, many policies lean on “ban” and “prohibit” language when the goal is really helping students reduce distracting screen time. We’d like to see more student-centered language and approaches designed to build lasting habits, not just compliance.
Rick: So, what does your model look like in practice?
Julia: It’s intentionally simple. Students download the app once, and after that, it runs automatically in the background. When students arrive on campus, our platform switches their phones into “School Mode” using geofencing. This approach reduces distractions without turning teachers into enforcers. When students leave campus, or at a time the school sets, their phones return to normal. Ownership is shared but clear: Principals typically champion rollout and family communication, and deans or assistant principals support accountability. Many schools also involve counselors, positive-behavior support teams, or student leaders, so it becomes a culture shift, not just a rule. Like any behavior-change effort, once expectations are set, it largely runs on autopilot and protects learning time.
Rick: For those of us who aren’t so tech-savvy, can you explain how geofencing works in a school setting?
Julia: A geofence is basically an invisible boundary around the school. When a student’s phone enters that zone, it automatically switches into “School Mode” and applies the school’s rules. When the phone leaves campus, it goes back to normal. The key point is privacy: This doesn’t track students or monitor what they do on their phones. We’re not reading messages or watching activity. We’re only detecting whether a device is inside or outside a school-defined area so the right expectations apply at the right time.
Rick: How often are kids able to circumvent the geofence—and what happens when they do?
Julia: Any time you introduce a behavior change, it’s normal for students to test boundaries. What matters is how the system responds. Students can keep the app running or try to disable it, but if they do, administrators receive alerts. That clarity is intentional—it supports real behavior change and makes expectations consistent. It also helps school leaders focus on the students who need the most support, instead of spending time on classroom phone checks or constant device enforcement. Using our technology, schools can reinforce the same policies they already have—just with clearer accountability and far less disruption to instruction.
Rick: What are the benefits of this approach?
Julia: For students, the school day feels calmer and more focused because they’re not fighting constant distractions. That makes it easier to participate, learn, and connect with classmates and teachers without phones becoming the center of attention. It also feels more respectful because students maintain ownership of their devices. For teachers, it means peace of mind. If phones come out for a legitimate academic purpose, students are far less likely to spiral into distracting social media apps, so phones can function as tools, not toys, and teachers aren’t stuck policing devices.
Rick: Beyond phones, are there any other applications for this kind of technology?
Julia: Phones are just the starting point. At a broader level, our technology allows schools to set clear, time- and place-based boundaries for how devices are used—without surveillance or heavy-handed enforcement. That means schools can support things like protected learning time, digital citizenship goals, and age-appropriate access to technology across the day. Schools can allow devices to be powerful tools when they’re needed and ensure they fade into the background when they’re not. Over time, this helps students build healthy habits, aligns device use with school culture and values, and creates consistent expectations students can carry beyond campus.
Rick: If you could give one piece of advice to educators concerned about cellphones but hesitant to ban them, what would it be?
Julia: Don’t get stuck debating the word “ban.” In most schools, even in states that mandate restrictions, phones are still on campus. The real question is how you’ll manage them during the day in a way that’s realistic and consistent. Start with your broader goal for students. Is it just fewer distractions today? Or is it building skills like focus, self-regulation, and responsible tech use that last beyond school? Then choose an approach that matches your culture and values and is practical to enforce. The strongest results come when clear boundaries and consistent reinforcement protect learning time while helping students build healthier habits—not just comply with a rule.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
