North Carolina Middle School Removes Bathroom Mirrors Because Of Constant TikTok Performances
In 1973, Brownsville Station recorded "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" — a song about rebellious school kids sneaking away to the restroom for a quick cig. Those guys have to be absolutely sick about the state of things 50 years later.
A middle school in North Carolina has removed mirrors from the bathroom in an attempt to stop kids from leaving class to film TikTok videos.
Yes, bathroom mirrors are a huge distraction for the budding egomaniacs at Southern Alamance, and school officials have finally had enough. Apparently, some kids were sneaking away as many as nine times a day to get their social media fix.
(Getty Images)
"Students were going to the bathroom for long periods of time and making TikTok videos," Les Atkins, the PR officer for the school system, told WFMY.
So they took out the bathroom mirrors. And lo and behold — nature doesn't call nearly as often.
"Not as many visits to the bathroom, not staying as long and students are held accountable and then when there's accountability you see a great difference," Atkins said.
TikTok is becoming a problematic distraction for kids.
Southern Alamance Middle School also started using a digital hall pass system to allow students to check in and out when leaving class. The system helps school leaders better track where students are at all times.
"We strive to limit distractions so students can focus on learning," the school said in a letter sent to parents. "Though this is an adjustment, we believe these changes will foster a better learning environment by minimizing disruptions."
The amount of time children spend on screens each day increased by more than 50% during the COVID pandemic. Last year, TikTok announced every account belonging to a user under 18 will automatically be set to a 60-minute daily screen time limit. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Truly a different world than back when Brownsville Station was singing the schoolhouse blues.
So maybe filming videos in the bathroom isn't quite as unhealthy as smoking in it, but it could be just as addictive. Tech experts warn the mindless scrolling associated with TikTok could develop into a dependence — keeping kids disconnected from reality and negatively affecting their mental health.
So maybe we need a modern-day remake of the song. Although "Filming Myself Doing Stupid Little Dances In The Boys' Room" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
Follow Amber on X at @TheAmberHarding or email her at Amber.Harding@OutKick.com.