Somewhere between chaos and boredom, a wild new TikTok trend has taken off – and yes, it involves teens literally setting their Chromebooks on fire.
Dubbed the #ChromebookChallenge, the trend sees students jamming metal objects like paper clips, pencil lead or foil into their school-issued Chromebook's charging port until it sparks, smokes or worse. The goal? Trigger the fire alarm and catch it all on video – ideally before the fire department shows up.
These videos are popping up under names like #ChromebookDurabilityTest and #FStudent, often featuring students cracking jokes while roasting their laptops with captions like "anything but schoolwork."
TikTok says it removes over 99% of harmful content before it's even flagged, but clearly, this one slipped through and it's already led to actual school evacuations.
However, TikTok has now blocked searches for terms like "Chromebook challenge." Try to look it up now and you will hit a safety warning instead, which links to educational resources about online trends and tips to think twice before jumping in.
When searching for the Chromebook challenge, you should see this warning. | Image credit – CNET
Like a lot of viral internet stuff, some trends are funny or creative – but others are straight-up dangerous. Fire officials are warning that damaging a laptop like this can cause serious battery fires, burns and even small explosions.
Plus, let's face it, destroying school-issued devices could also leave students (or more accurately their parents) facing hefty repair bills or school disciplinary action.
And meanwhile, while all this is happening, in other TikTok news, the company is doubling down on its presence in the US. Even with mounting legal pressure and the looming threat of a potential ban, TikTok is telling its American advertising partners that it's not going anywhere – at least for now.
Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech. From being an early follower of PhoneArena to relying exclusively on her smartphone for photography, she embraces the immense capabilities of compact devices in our daily lives. With a Journalism degree and an explorative spirit, Tsveta not only provides expert insights into the world of gadgets and smartphones but also shares a unique perspective shaped by her diverse interests in travel, culture, and visual storytelling.
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