- A school in North Carolina took the unconventional step of removing mirrors from its restrooms.
- Students were using the mirrors to film TikToks, according to local news outlet WFMY.
A North Carolina middle school has removed mirrors from its bathrooms, saying students were taking regular, lengthy breaks to make social media videos, according to local reports.
The CBS-affiliate TV news network WFMY spoke to Les Atkins, the public information officer for Alamance-Burlington School System, who said students were "going to the bathroom for long periods of time and making TikTok videos."
An update sent to students' families last week, which was seen by Business Insider, read, "On average students visit the restroom 3 to 4 times a day. Some were asking to go out more frequently and staying for upwards of 5 minutes or more."
That number had increased to up to nine times a day, according to WFMY.
Since removing the mirrors, the school has seen a "drastic decrease" in students making restroom requests, according to the statement sent to parents.
The school opted to make this chance instead of taking phones away from students, as some parents wanted their children to keep their devices on them for safety reasons, Atkins told BI.
Some teachers also used phones as part of assignments if the student had one and wanted to use it, and the school wished to instill a sense of "digital citizenship" and encourage students to use their devices responsibly, instead of confiscating them.
The middle school has also implemented a new "digital hall pass system" to help track the general whereabouts of students throughout the day.
"The pass allows students to check in and out when leaving class, so we know where students are at all times for safety and accountability," Atkins said.
It's unclear what videos the middle schoolers were making during bathroom visits, or how much they were using the mirrors as part of their uploads, but TikToks featuring mirrors are a staple of the platform, from editing transitions to staring challenges.
Last year, a Florida law banned TikTok from all school devices and WiFi networks, a move welcomed by people concerned about the impact social media has on students' mental health, the local ABC affiliate WCJB-TV reported.
Various universities across the country have also banned the app, citing security concerns.