A social media trend is causing trouble at schools around the country, including in Colorado. It鈥檚 called the 鈥淐hromebook Challenge.鈥� It involves damaging a laptop so that it sparks. The result can cause a fire or cause the computer's battery to explode. So far, there are several cases across the Front Range.
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Boulder Valley School District reported a half dozen incidents in six days. , Adams 12 Schools also has a handful of cases. The incidents have prompted law enforcement and fire departments to share warnings about the trend.
A teacher in Greeley says she's seen students attempt it firsthand and shared recent social media posts warning against taking part in the challenge.
"I put it up on the big screen in my classroom to show all my students, like, 'hey, I think you're all smarter than this, but if you know someone who you think is maybe not smart enough, please tell them how dangerous this is,'" said Anna Bjornson, a high school teacher at University High School.
In the BVSD cases, all six incidents happened on school property. While there are no reported injuries, the students involved are facing disciplinary action.
鈥淲e encourage families to connect with their children and share the potential consequences,鈥� wrote the district in a press release. 鈥淚t is all of our responsibility to take care of each other and school property on a daily basis.鈥�
Boulder school officials say students need to be aware that the act damages school property and there are consequences. Other schools have similar rules in place, but officials say that won't always stop teens.
"I guess teenagers just want to test the limits, and they want to try things out for themselves," said Bjornson. "They sometimes want to see if what they saw online is really true, or maybe they just want to see how much they can get away with."
So far, there have been no arrests in Colorado, but , Calif., ended with the arrest of a 13-year-old, who is now charged with arson.
The Chromeback Challenge has been most popular on TikTok. In some cases, people insert metal objects into the laptop鈥檚 USB port and sometimes puncture the computer鈥檚 battery, which causes a quick rise in temperature. This can spark a fire or cause the computer and battery to explode. Besides igniting a fire, it can also release toxic fumes.
According to , TikTok has since banned searches for the Chromeback Challenge as a means to deter more copycats.
