A growing TikTok trend challenging users to insert objects into laptops, with some sparking fires or resulting in evacuations, has school districts and fire departments across multiple states sounding the alarm to parents, students and the general public.
In a May 8 letter shared with ABC’s Good Morning America, parents and students at Cooperative Middle School in Stratham, New Hampshire, were warned about the trend, which some have nicknamed the “Chromebook Challenge,” referencing the laptop brand many schools issue for student use.
“In the past three days alone, the [Exeter Region Cooperative School District] has seen at least 15 incidents where students have intentionally inserted conductive objects — such as lead from mechanical pencils, paperclips or push pins — into the charging and/or usb ports of their Chromebooks,” the letter read in part. “This has resulted in devices overheating and becoming completely unusable.”
School staff warned that students who are caught participating in the challenge would face a financial penalty, but also warned that doing so could put lives and the health of students and staff at risk.
At Belleville High School in New Jersey, a student tried the “Chromebook Challenge” inside a classroom May 8, according to Belleville Fire Department Capt. Chase Hamilton.
“They gave it a try, and sure enough, it worked. The battery swelled up. It got hot,” Hamilton, an investigator with Belleville’s arson investigation unit, told GMA. “The odor was very heavy when I made my way into the school to do the investigation.”
Hamilton said lithium-ion batteries that are tampered with can experience an issue called thermal runaway, where batteries go into failure, become damaged, explode, catch fire or expel toxic fumes.
No injuries were reported in the Belleville High School incident, but Hamilton hopes it will serve as a warning for students and parents.