Digital hall passes provide too little time and sacrifice privacy for efficiency
Staff Writer
The new digital hall pass system at AHS is a technological innovation designed to monitor the time students spend outside of the classroom in the name of accountability. Although it sounds relatively efficient on paper, in reality, it is a logistical disaster. By restricting the time limit to seven minutes and monitoring student activity, the digital hall pass has transformed the act of using the restroom into a stressful time trial which jeopardizes student privacy.
First, the shortened seven-minute time limit. The walk from some classes to the nearest bathroom can take two to three minutes, depending on the location. Plus, there is the risk of the bathroom being closed, leaving no time to do what people actually go there to do. All of a sudden, possible consequences for infringing on the time limit are imminent.
Then there is the concern of invasion of privacy. Although the system was just designed to ensure that students are being lawful, there is no denying the invasive connotations. Knowing that 5-Star can collect private data and potentially use it to target students just to facilitate bathroom usage seems like a bit of an overreaction from school administration.
Gyan Singh Kalra (10) said, “Students shouldn’t have to trade their privacy for a hall pass. It’s not even the fact that we feel like we are being watched, rather it’s the principle of trust: if they can’t even trust students to go to the toilet, how can students be able to trust them?”
Another major oversight in this new process is the assumption that all students have cellular devices to check in and check out for digital hall passes. Although most students own a smartphone, there are still many who cannot access a cellular device. While there are, in theory, alternatives to using a cell phone, the process creates unnecessary barriers that make complying to the digital policy too inconvenient for students without personal devices.
If the goal of digital hall passes is to promote accountability, it is, unfortunately, failing. All students are left with is a system which prioritizes surveillance and practicality over trust, making them feel like they are part of a social experiment every time they need to use the restroom. Rather than creating systems which force students to rush, the school should create an environment where students feel safe to do what they need to do.
The new bathroom pass at our school, with a seven minute time limit and location tracking capabilities, turns using the restroom into a stressful tribulation. This system brings up questions about trust and the balance of efficiency and respect. (Photo Credit: Ryan Liu (10)).
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a “dueling” piece, placed on the print issue beside another article arguing the opposition of the stance taken in this article. That opposing article can be found here: https://eagleera.org/2025/02/07/why-digital-hall-passes-are-of-benefit-to-students/
Eagle Era 
Leave a comment