New TikTok trend at schools is putting teachers and students at risk: “The damage was done intentionally”
A new TikTok challenge is trending across the United States causing concern because of the serious danger is presents from starting fires in schools.
TikTok is a popular app, especially among younger Americans, for scrolling through a wide range of videos from humorous videos of pets and dances to everyday tips and challenges like the ice-bucket challenge, which is making a comeback. While many of these videos are harmless, some others that go viral literally spark dangerous and destructive trends.
Such is the case with yet another one that has schools sending warnings to their students’ parents to talk to their children about the danger of putting metallic objects into the USB port of their Chromebooks. The new dangerous challenge spreading on the short-form video app is called the ‘Chromebook Challenge’ which has resulted in schools filling with smoke and being evacuated.
Dangerous TikTok trend: the ‘Chromebook Challenge’
The latest dangerous trend involves kids filming themselves inserting objects like paperclips, pens and pencils into the USB port of their Chromebook, which causes sparking from the electrical current short-circuiting the device. This leads to smoke pouring out of the Google-brand laptops and in some cases fires as the lithium battery inside overheats.
Once such example of this was reported last week at Newington High School in Connecticut, one of several that have had to be evacuated recently and the fire department called in.
Dr. Maureen Brummett, superintendent of Newington Public Schools, told NBC News at the local station. that after an investigation “it became clear that the damage was done intentionally. That it wasn’t a malfunctioning Chromebook, but rather a student had intentionally done things to it that caused it to smoke and eventually melt.”
TikTok told NBC News that the challenge videos were not exclusive to their platform and that search terms like ‘Chromebook Challenge’ have been blocked from its platform.
TikTok trend disruptive and has serious consequences
“It’s more than just a trend. It causes a lot of disruption,” said Newington fire marshal DJ Zordon explaining: ”The school has to be evacuated, firefighters respond to the fire house and subsequently to the scene, it takes resources from any other emergencies that might be happening at that time.”
Fire Chief Jason Brade, who had to respond to a similar incident at the local high school in Cromwell on Monday said that when his crew arrived on the scene they found a laptop that was no longer in flames, but had clearly been “on fire at one point.”
“There’s some serious consequences to it, and you could seriously get hurt,” he said. “The small [batteries] like cell phones and laptops, it can cause an explosion. It could have potentially burned somebody. Shrapnel could have hit other people if it exploded,” he cautioned.
Authorities are looking into the incidents and those responsible will be held accountable said Brummett.
David Winston, principal of Lincoln Park Middle School in Morris County, New Jersey told NorthJersey.com that he sent a letter to parents explaining that he spoke to the student body after learning some students had discussed and attempted the challenge.
“This type of act is considered a form of vandalism,” warned Winston. “And, if a fire results, [it] could be treated as arson.”
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