Latest news with #BeckyHowe
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Dangerous social media trend causes damage to schools
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Final exams, the prom and regional sports finals are all part of the end-of-school season, but this year, like in many years in the past, social media has fueled a dangerous trend, with the latest episode involving laptops and easily influenced children. 10 On Your Side obtained a copy of an advisory that was sent to Norfolk parents over the weekend. It read in part: 'We want to bring to your attention a concerning social media trend that has recently emerged. Some students across various schools have been influenced by online content encouraging them to attempt starting fires using Chromebooks. … Not only can these incidents cause disruption to the entire school; they can also cause serious injury. Please make sure your student understands participating in this trend could have serious repercussions including injuries, disciplinary consequences, and financial responsibility.' 10 On Your Side will not disclose how the fires are set and the details of the dangerous challenge. In Derby, Kansas, WAVY-TV 10's sister station covered the case of a scorched laptop at Derby High School. Becky Howe is a parent at the school. 'Parents need to be educated of what they are and children need to be educated that they [ internet challenges]are actually dangerous,' said Becky Howe, a parent of a student at the school. There's a reason why certain batteries are not allowed on airplanes. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, lithium batteries can cause a thermal runaway, which is characterized as a chain reaction of uncontrolled heating that can lead to fire or explosion. Fire officials in Derby say the so-called laptop challenge can turn deadly. 'Once you cause this thermal runaway to occur, you can't stop it,' said Derby Fire Marshal Jonathan Marr. 'It will continue to get worse until it burns itself out.' The fires also release chemicals that require special equipment for first responders. 10 On Your Side touched base with eight local school systems; Portsmouth and Virginia Beach responded by saying the laptop trend has not visited their schools. Suffolk Public Schools said they've seen several incidents among students in the school division, and it responded with this statement: Important-Notice-to-Families_-TikTok-Challenge-Causing-Chromebook-DamageDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Derby laptop fried in latest TikTok trend
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A new social media trend led to a fried laptop at Derby High School. It's the latest TikTok trend wreaking havoc in schools. The trend teaches kids how to fiddle with their school laptops to make smoke come out. It's been triggering chemical reactions leading to hazardous lithium battery fires. Derby's fire department says the danger goes beyond flammability. Parents are keeping an eye on the latest TikTok trends 'My son and his friend came home, I think it was last week, and said that someone in their class got their conduct card marked,' said Becky Howe, a mom in Winfield. She says the student who got marked was fiddling with a laptop. She says the trend is not surprising. 'They always pass, they always cycle through, and there's always the next one,' Howe said. Curiosity is getting the best of students at Derby High School. 'There's been a social media trend that's been online for about a week or so that demonstrates how you can cause a thermal runaway in a lithium-ion battery inside of a laptop,' said Derby Fire Marshal Jonathan Marr. The trend is causing real concern. 'Once you cause this thermal runaway to occur, you can't stop it, and it'll continue to get worse until it burns itself out,' Marr said. The fire department has to isolate the device. Because it's a chemical reaction, it can reignite, which also means it's more of a hazard. 'The gases that it releases are highly toxic,' Marr said. The school district says the laptops cost almost $400 to replace. 'I think education is always important in that and communication is important… reminding students that there are real consequences to certain actions,' said Katie Carlson 'Parents need to be educated and our children need to be educated that they're actually dangerous,' Howe said. The police chief in Derby says there can be serious legal consequences, too. Even incidents that happen in schools are presented to the DA's office. If the DA decides to pursue the case, not leaving it up to the school to decide appropriate discipline, the chief says the case would go to court, and a student could be charged with arson. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
