A California high school’s decision to replace mirrors in the girls’ bathroom with signs of affirmation has sparked some social media backlash.
In an attempt to show “more love” and boost self-esteem, the high school removed the mirrors and put up the signs instead.
Every single mirror.
Girls at Laguna Hills High School can no longer check their makeup or even their teeth after lunch as the school replaced the mirrors with signs declaring positive phrases like “You are beautiful,” and “You are strong,” ABC News reported.
A high school in California has done away with mirrors in its girls’ bathroom and substituted signs of affirmation. https://t.co/007F2zbNnG pic.twitter.com/DmJnnY0nuE
— ABC News (@ABC) April 4, 2017
The idea, which set off social media with questions like why the mirrors had to be removed at all, was the brainchild of Sabrina Astle, a 17 year-old student at the school and a member of the Kindness Club.
Astle “wanted to find a way to make a difference through our Kindness Club on campus. This is why I started making the posters in the first place,” she told ABC.
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“Then we had What if … Week,” she said, an event to foster community on campus. “Each day has a specific message. The message for Thursday, March 23, 2017, was ‘What if we showed more love?'”
Astle thought the best way to show that love was to protect every girl from being triggered by a reflection in the mirror, and to bombard them instead with feel-good messages.
“I felt that this would be a good time to hang the signs. I put the signs in the bathroom the night before so students would see them throughout the next day,” she said.
The school’s activities director, Chelsea Maxwell, told ABC that Astle “made it her goal for the semester to spread positive messages around campus.” Maxwell shared that the reaction to the signs was positive and they would remain up indefinitely.
There did not seem to be any indication, however, that anyone had a practical objection to the lack of mirrors. There were no reports of anyone at the school asking why the signs could not be placed over the mirrors or if anyone thought maybe the phrases could be written on the mirrors with dry-erase markers.
Though no one would deny the importance of building self-esteem in teenagers, some might see the school’s good intentions as being a bit out of step with reality, creating an environment in which students are overindulged and coddled.
“The signs have helped people remember that everyone is beautiful, everyone is important, everyone is good enough and everyone should be treated equally,” Astle said. “I did this because I am passionate about the fact that everyone is important and everyone needs to be cared for.”
True sentiments from the high school student, but many on Twitter did not agree with the method.
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@AndreaNourse @ABC Mirrors do not tear people down and smiley faced sticky notes do not increase self esteem. Our youth can’t hide from reality forever.
— The Dude (@sigtau_dude) April 4, 2017
@ABC Selfie obsessed nation eliminates mirrors? At a California HS, no less. Yeah… that’ll go over well.
??? pic.twitter.com/ljhXviZsbt— C-Town Jacket Fan (@robbyjr04) April 4, 2017
@ABC High self-esteem comes after an accomplishment not before
— Steve Okel (@smojmokel) April 4, 2017
@ABC Those sticky notes will really help with the broccoli in their teeth
— IalsoHatepitt (@abrccpr) April 4, 2017
@ABC This is sooo California, afraid of its shadow and can NO longer look at themselves in mirror, the left lost reality
— rick (@rvplace14) April 4, 2017
@abrccpr @ABC They can always bring their own mirror
— Angie (@Ntheforest) April 4, 2017
@Stig41d @sigtau_dude @AndreaNourse @ABC Hopefully, the toilet paper dispensers have a reflective surface.
— Edith Carter (@EdithSCarter) April 4, 2017
@smojmokel @botticellicream @ABC Note too…It’s SELF-esteem. No one can “give” it to you…Used 2 point that out all the time when I taught HS.
— Max (@maxnrgmax) April 4, 2017
@ABC This is sort of sweet and also sort of ridiculous. How are they gonna make sure their lipstick is on straight? #realtalk
— Missi Wimberly (@missiwimberly) April 4, 2017
@ABC Most frequently heard question in girls’ bathrooms will be: does anyone have a mirror?
— JGH (@Hubb57) April 4, 2017
@ABC “Ahhh! My face is covered with patronizing platitudes!”
— Ken F (@sahuargrapes) April 4, 2017
@ABC Ultimate snowflake thing to do.
— Jim Branch (@jamesbranch3) April 4, 2017
Add it to the list of reasons the rest of the country laughs at California.
— Kron (@Kronykal) April 4, 2017
@ABC Why does it have to be one or the other? How about dry erase messages on the top of the mirror? This is silly
— Amanda (@mandiefressh) April 4, 2017
@cherieinflorida @ABC They don’t. They pretend it doesn’t exist, and just make these nonsense rules to cover their own asses.It’s absurd and tragically comedic
— Manveer Heir’s Boss (@InMourningBloom) April 4, 2017
@WineAndLiberty @ABC what about the men’s restrooms? Does our self esteem not matter? What happened to equality?
— SovietJhon (@PirateJhon216) April 4, 2017
@ABC Boys of course are emotionally stable enough to accept reality.
— Dan The Smooth Dork (@TheSickDork) April 4, 2017
@ABC BREAKING: iPhone 7s has done away with front facing cameras and substituted signs of affirmation.
— Фредерик (@Furederikkuu) April 4, 2017
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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