A viral TikTok trend called the “Chromebook Challenge” has made its way to Inland Empire schools and prompted safety warnings from some school districts.
The challenge encourages students to jam metal objects such as push pins or lead pencils into Chromebook charging ports, causing the devices to short-circuit.
In some cases, this has led to sparks, smoke and even small fires — often captured on student-shot videos.
Redlands schools, which have already experienced a few of the incidents, are warning families about the challenge and urging students not to take part.
“We’re sharing this information to ask for your partnership in having a conversation with your child about the risks and consequences of this trend,” Redlands Unified School District Superintendent Juan Cabral wrote in a Wednesday, May 14, letter to parents.
The letter doesn’t name the schools involved. District spokesperson Christine Stephens could not be reached for comment.
In Murrieta, officials have had four “Chromebook Challenge” cases in the past week, spokesperson Monica Gutierrez said.
Some Murrieta Valley Unified School District schools sent parent advisories or included warnings in newsletters, while leaders of other campuses spoke to students, Gutierrez said.
The students involved are facing consequences under state and federal laws, she said.
The Inland-area warnings come as the challenge has already led to consequences in other school districts.
In Long Beach, at least one middle school student was arrested Thursday, May 8, after officials said she jammed a foreign object into a school-issued Chromebook, sparking a fire that led to a classroom evacuation. The district confirmed the incident was part of the social media trend and said the laptop was damaged beyond repair.
The Val Verde Unified School District, which covers parts of Perris and Moreno Valley, hasn’t had any reported incidents so far, but its staff has been alerted. The district gives out Chromebooks to support digital learning and help students build tech skills.
“We’re aware of it,” said Kristen Tate, a security and communications technician with Val Verde’s police department. “We’ve put out a safety message to staff, but we haven’t had any reported incidents at this time. Hopefully it stays that way.”
