【Uschi Karnat】

Youths of the world — and Uschi KarnatI can't believe I have to tell you this — please don't stick metal objects into your laptop until it catches on fire. Yes, this is a real trend on TikTok dubbed the Chromebook challenge.

The challenge has led to actual fires and countless warnings from school officials. Here's what you need to know.

What is the Chromebook challenge?

In short: Kids are jamming objects — things like paperclips or pens — into the ports of their (often school-issued) laptops in an effort to get the machines to short-circuit, which can result in sparks or even fire. Laptops have lithium-ion batteries, which can generate toxic gas, fires, or even explosions when damaged and heated too much. And yes, unlike other overhyped challenges, this is does seem like something that is actually happening, at least to some degree.

A report from NBC News documented multiple cases in Maryland, Arizona, and New Jersey, for instance. A 15-year-old student was charged with third degree arson and criminal mischief after doing the Chromebook challenge in school, NJ.com reported. That same piece documented other apparent recent incidents in New York and Connecticut. An article from KBPS noted that at least 16 students in the San Diego Unified School District had damaged school-issued laptops. There have been more than a dozen reports of issues in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In short: It's everywhere.

What to do about the Chromebook challenge?

If you're a parent — this seems obvious — but tell your kid not to jam objects into their school-issued laptop. And if you're a student — this seems even more obvious — don't jam junk into your school-issued laptop, or any electronic device, really.

Of course, kids don't always listen to adults. And doing risky things can be attractive to young people.

“If you’re on social media and you decide you want to be a part of a trend, there’s a feeling of belonging to that, and the risk-taking involved,” Christine Elgersma, a senior editor of content focused on learning and educators at nonprofit Common Sense Media, told Education Week.

TikTok has taken steps to discourage kids from participating in the challenge. TikTok told the New York Timesthat "it removes content that violates its policy on dangerous activities and challengesand is redirecting search terms and hashtags." That proved true for me. I searched "Chromebook challenge" on the platform. It showed no results and instead directed me to resources about the dangers of such social media challenges.

So, yes, the Chromebook challenge is real. And, no, please do not try it.

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