Middle school removes bathroom mirrors to stop kids from making TikToks

I think a good middle ground might be to ban smartphones but not phones entirely. If you want your kid to be able to call you, buy them a nokia or something without internet capabilities

There are better tools these days than blanket prohibition.

The signals that voice and data go over are different from each other, so not all modern cellphone jammers jam the entire spectrum. Some can be set up to allow voice calls over the traditional channels while jamming data. This forces students to use the school’s wifi network for any Internet connectivity, whereupon their connectivity to apps and services can be whitelisted/blacklisted as deemed necessary by system admins.

Ergo, a system that keeps students off of their smartphones while allowing parental connectivity.

The children don't count, clearly. Only adult opinions matter.

Id feel safer sending my kid to school without a smartphone if I wasn't scared there would be a school shooting or some other reason my kid would need to call me for help. I get the sense a lot of other parents feel that way too.

My kids are still too young for that but when they are in high school and maybe depending on the middle school I'll probably start thinking about a phone of some kind.

Also my kids are bored all the time haha. Taking away their tablet or games is the best punishment most of the time when they argue. We are big on drawing over here though. Hard to stop a kid from drawing lol.

I spent 12 years in American public school during which greater than 70% of the student body had cell or smart phones and 100% of them were successfully banned. If the phone is visible during the school day and you aren't currently receiving a phone call from the President or from your parents on their way to the hospital, phone goes in the teacher's desk. You get it back at the end of the day.

Its not that difficult at all.

they kinda are Ireland, in primary school mostly but even in secondary school teachers are allowed to take your phone for 3 days if they see you on it

What's the difficulty? If they're being used they're out in the open, and if they're out in the open they can be confiscated.

I agree! There's a campaign pushing to avoid giving kids phones until 8th grade, but I think even that seems a bit too young

Man I remember being in school and a cellphone or pager was instant suspension.

I said "smartphones" not all phones. If I had a kid, I'd get them a flip phone so they could call or text me, but one without internet capabilities

Is your kid going to save the day with a cell phone? Do you think in that situation there is not going to be another adult who can call 911?

When you tell your child “just get in trouble and I’ll take care of the rest” you are telling the child that they don’t have to respect school rules. And having dealt with parents like you, your children turn out to be absolute terrors. (“Im texting my mom!” as you hear the fucking Rizzler song for the sixth time)

As part of my teaching training, I was in a program where I was not allowed to have my cell phone on me at all. 6 am to 9 pm, for almost two weeks. I survived.

L😂

I did it a couple times when I really had to go. I usually waited as along as I could after class started so no one was randomly in the bathroom in between classes.

If I were a school bully, I'd be concerned about the readily-available projectile that could emerge in this scenario. Only one type of asshole should be doing its job in there.

Most buildings or schools will have a barrier free washroom. If you find the school you are in removed the doors in the men's and women's the barrier free washrooms may be a good stop gap for privacy. Or try and find the faculty washrooms if you can sneak in. Another option is the gym/athletic change rooms, most times these get overlooked.

Edit: seems people do not know what a barrier free washroom is and assume it's a washroom with no door.

Ie. Barrier free is a wheelchair accessible washroom commonly referred to as a handicapped washroom. This is a large single room washrooms usually located between the men's and women's washroom or off to the side. The washroom is self contained with a door toilet and sink. These washroom are unisex.

Bloody Mary. 🫣

I think it's actually the ADA that requires them, now that I think about it, but I know in commercial buildings there are requirements for size and location of mirrors in bathrooms (maybe only if you choose to install them).

The school could provide a time and space for learning how to make better videos. It doesn't have to be a fuck off and make tiktoks in lieu of going to curriculum classes. Make it something akin to a vocational class, even if an extra-curricular. Less a space for kids to fuck off during the day to make lame tiktoks and more of a means of teaching video production and the things that go into it. Photography, editing software, basic equipment operation, how to properly record audio, lighting, all of that type off thing.

This may sound ridiculously expensive, but I have seen schools have classes, and clubs, that do just this for just over two thousand dollars. This won't stop kids from being disruptive with whatever bullshit is popular at the time, nothing will, but it can enrich those that do these things with actual interest in the craft.

Someone is always going to be the worst in the nation.

Idk what kind of art classes you had at middle school but creative is not how I'd describe it. You got assignments. You draw this bird. Has to be a bird. Okay now were doing clay, you have to make a pot. Music time you have to learn this song. I feel so creative.