A Middle School Removed Its Bathroom Mirrors to Curb TikTok Use

A new trend has emerged in middle schools where students go to the bathroom to create TikTok content. Facing this issue, Southern Alamance Middle School in North Carolina took an unusual approach by removing the mirrors from its bathrooms. Les Atkins, the school’s public relations officer, explained that students were spending too much time in the bathroom on social media, making it difficult for others to use it.

A School Is Fighting TikTok Use

According to Atkins, there were positive results after removing the mirrors in the bathrooms of the school. There was a noticeable reduction in bathroom visits and duration. This strategy seems effective at Southern Alamance, but some people are skeptical about its overall usefulness.

One parent believes the effect will be temporary because kids find alternative ways to indulge in this trend. One middle school teacher agreed with this opinion and pointed out that mirrors were actually very important for middle schoolers. She offered an alternative, pointing out that keeping the phones outside but keeping the mirrors in was a better solution.

Kids Have a Social Media Problem

Despite immediate resistance from parents and students, the measure was applied to some effect. The issue of excessive social media use at school is certainly there, but many parents oppose a complete phone ban due to safety concerns. According to psychologists, platforms like TikTok are addictive. They trigger a dopamine rush with their constant and unpredictable content stream.

It seems that while removing bathroom mirrors has prevented some from making TikToks, the core problem is much larger and hasn’t been addressed. Some experts believe kids have to be taught principles of self-regulation when it comes to technology use. That can be achieved when schools and parents play a role in guiding preteens and teens to make responsible decisions. For now, it remains to be seen if measures will be taken by schools across the country regarding social media use and if there will be any lasting effect.