A middle school in North Carolina has chosen to eliminate bathroom mirrors due to an increase in students using valuable class time to create TikTok videos in the restrooms. The mirror privileges were withdrawn at the Southern Alamance Middle School to reduce distractions among the students.
Students Took Longer and Frequent Bathroom Breaks
Fox News reported that Alamance-Burlington School System spokesperson Les Atkins said that the students were going to the bathroom for long periods of time and making TikTok.
Atkins said that the mirrors installed in the bathrooms features in a number of TikTok videos created by the middle schooler's for the social media app. The system revealed that prior to the action being taken, typically, students use the restroom around three to four times a day, but recently, this frequency has risen steadily to between seven, eight, and nine times a day. While an unconventional measure, the consequence appears to have been effective, as per the outlet.
"There are fewer bathroom visits, shorter stays, and students are taking responsibility. When there's accountability, you can observe a noticeable improvement," Atkins remarked.
"We're trying to educate students. Like we all have cell phones now. We have to learn to use them. We have to learn when to put them down," he told WFMY.
Smart Passes Being Introduced in School
The outlet further reported that according to school leadership, it is introducing Smart Pass, a digital hall pass system that enables students to check in and out of class. School officials state that it is designed to help staff more effectively monitor students' whereabouts at all times, in turn ensuring their safety and accountability.
In a letter to the parents, Southern Alamance Middle School stated that they strive to limit distractions so students can focus on learning. "Though this is an adjustment, we believe these changes will foster a better learning environment by minimizing disruptions," it went on to add.
It may be noted that Montana made history last year as the first state to prohibit the app, asserting that the ban aimed to protect its residents from "Chinese Communist Party surveillance."
