The latest challenge posted on TikTok encourages young people to insert pencil lead, paper clips, or other metal objects into the port of their school-issued Chromebook to trigger sparks and smoke.
Incidents have been reported nationwide, including a handful in Petaluma.
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WATCH HERENow the South Bay’s largest school district, San Jose Unified, is joining several other local districts in sending letters to parents detailing the trend and asking them to talk to their children.
They are emphasizing making responsible choices online. Reminding them the Chromebooks are for educational purposes and that tampering leads to damage and safety hazards -- as well as punishment.
“Everyone is showing each other the videos at school and they all think it’s a joke but I don’t think it’s a joke, I think it’s really dumb,” said student Karely Enriquez.
But in some cases, such as in Roseville and in Connecticut, classrooms were evacuated due to fire and what investigators say is toxic smoke.
“I was two rooms away from the room with the challenge, I heard screaming,” said student Tristan Peoples.
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Ann Skeet, a social media expert at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Ethics Center, said the trend is a reminder never to underestimate social media’s influence on young, impressionable minds.
“It’s not surprising that once something gets out on a platform like TikTok that it spreads rapidly and it catches the attention of lots of young people,” she said. “In this case, you know, I try to imagine a world where we would holding the technology company as accountable as we’re likely to hold the students in this case.”
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