Social media challenges continue to pose risks to students and school property as a new dangerous trend spreads across TikTok. The latest viral phenomenon involves students deliberately short-circuiting school-issued Chromebooks, resulting in fires, toxic smoke, and school evacuations.
The Chromebook Challenge Explained
The trend, variously known as the Chromebook Challenge, Chromebook Smoke Challenge, or Chromebook Durability Test, involves students inserting conductive objects into their school-issued laptop ports. Participants use readily available classroom items such as paper clips, pushpins, aluminum foil, mechanical pencils, staples, and scissors to jam into charging and USB ports. These foreign metallic objects create short circuits that cause batteries to overheat, potentially leading to fires, explosions, and the release of toxic fumes. Students typically record these dangerous stunts and share the videos on TikTok, often with captions like Anything but work, revealing their motivation to avoid school responsibilities.
Items used to short-circuit Chromebooks:
- Paper clips
- Pushpins
- Aluminum foil
- Mechanical pencils
- Staples
- Scissors
Real-World Consequences
Schools across the United States have already reported significant incidents related to this challenge. A Connecticut high school was evacuated following a laptop fire believed to be connected to the trend. In another case, a student inserted scissors into a laptop, generating toxic smoke that sent a classmate to the hospital for inhalation treatment. The perpetrator now faces charges in juvenile court. A 15-year-old high school student in New Jersey has been charged with third-degree arson and criminal mischief after participating in the challenge. School districts in Colorado, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Washington have issued written warnings to parents about the dangerous trend.
Financial and Educational Impact
Beyond the immediate safety concerns, the trend has significant financial implications for schools and families. Some school districts, like the Mid-Del School District in Oklahoma, are requiring families to pay the full replacement cost of USD 274 for each intentionally damaged Chromebook. The disruptions caused by evacuations, class cancellations, and emergency responses also impact valuable learning time. School and safety officials emphasize that these devices are educational tools, not toys for social media stunts, and that damaging them hinders the educational process for all students.
Consequences of the challenge:
- School evacuations
- Class cancellations
- Fire department deployments
- Hospitalization for smoke inhalation
- Legal charges including arson and criminal mischief
- USD 274 replacement cost per damaged Chromebook
TikTok's Response
TikTok has taken swift action to curb the spread of this dangerous challenge. The platform is actively removing content that violates its Dangerous Activities and Challenges policy. Searches for Chromebook Challenge no longer yield videos of the trend but instead display a warning message: Some online challenges can be dangerous, disturbing or even fabricated. The warning includes resources on identifying harmful challenges and encourages users to verify the safety of trends before participating. TikTok advises users to ask themselves, Is it safe? Is it harmful? Is it real? and to consult with adults or authoritative sources if unsure.
Pattern of Dangerous Social Media Challenges
This is not the first dangerous trend to gain traction on social media platforms. Previous viral challenges have included the Kia Challenge, which demonstrated how to steal certain Kia and Hyundai models, leading to increased car thefts; the Blackout Challenge, where participants would strangle themselves until losing consciousness, resulting in several deaths; and the Penny or Outlet Challenge, which involved inserting a plug into a power outlet and sliding a penny onto the exposed prongs to create short circuits. These patterns highlight the powerful influence social media can have on youth behavior and the importance of digital literacy.
Alternative names for the trend:
- Chromebook Challenge
- Chromebook Smoke Challenge
- Chromebook Durability Test
Advice for Parents and Educators
Fire departments and school officials are urging parents to have conversations with their children about online trends and peer pressure. Studies show that the pressure to participate in viral challenges can feel enormous to young people. Experts recommend discussing the real-world consequences of such actions, including potential legal ramifications, financial costs, and safety hazards. Parents are encouraged to monitor their children's online activities and help them develop critical thinking skills to evaluate the risks associated with trending challenges. Schools are also implementing stricter monitoring of device usage and clearer consequences for intentional damage to school property.