Latest news with #NewingtonHighSchool
Fast Company
15-05-2025
- Fast Company
Teens are still setting fire to Chromebooks for TikTok clout
Students are still setting fire to their Chromebooks for TikTok—and now they're facing the consequences. Fast Company first reported on the #ChromebookChallenge trend last week, following a series of school evacuations caused by students igniting laptop fires. The fires are started by inserting items such as pencils, paper clips, and pushpins into the charging ports of school-issued Chromebooks. This can cause the battery to overheat, potentially sparking a fire or explosion that releases toxic fumes. The #ChromebookChallenge reportedly began in Connecticut and has since spread rapidly. Newington High School was the first to evacuate students on May 1 after a laptop caught fire and the fire department was called. Since then, two students at Southington High School were arrested in connection with a separate laptop fire on May 7. The teens were charged with reckless burning, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and second-degree breach of peace. On May 8, a Plainville middle school student was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and is now facing criminal charges for deliberately causing the incident. That same day, Belleville High School in New Jersey was evacuated after a laptop fire started outside a classroom. Responding officers and firefighters found a charred Chromebook just outside the building. A 15-year-old student has since been charged with arson and criminal mischief. The trend has spread westward: As of late last week, Denver Public Schools had received 30 reports of students attempting to ignite their laptops, according to Axios. The Colorado Springs Fire Department has reported at least 16 similar incidents. With no sign of the trend slowing, schools across the country—including in California, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Washington—have issued warnings about the reckless challenge. Parents and guardians are also being urged to talk to their children about fire safety and the dangers of blindly following social media trends. A TikTok spokesperson tells Fast Company that it takes down content that violates the platform's Dangerous Activities and Challenges policy. The company is currently working closely with the National PTA to fund programs in high schools about online safety and civility. In addition, searching for the term 'Chromebook challenge' on TikTok brings up a safety warning: 'Some online challenges can be dangerous, disturbing, or even fabricated,' it reads. 'Learn how to recognize harmful challenges so you can protect your health and well-being.' However, the trend is still circulating under other hashtags, such as #ChromebookDurabilityTest and #FStudent. Many of these videos go viral, garnering thousands of views and comments from fellow students and baffled adults. The clips often feature a sound bite from fitness podcaster Ben Azoulay: 'The F students are inventors,' Azoulay says. 'They're so creative that they couldn't sit in class.'
San Francisco Chronicle
10-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area students are setting school laptops on fire in new TikTok trend, officials say
A dangerous TikTok trend is prompting warnings from school officials across the Bay Area and beyond, after a rise in incidents involving students intentionally damaging school-issued Chromebooks — some resulting in smoke, fire and costly destruction. Known as the ' Chromebook Challenge,' the viral prank encourages students to insert metal objects such as paper clips, foil, or LED wires into the USB ports of their laptops. The goal, apparently for social media attention, is to short-circuit the devices, causing sparks, heat or flames. Petaluma City Schools issued an alert Friday after reporting multiple cases of deliberate damage. 'This is extremely unsafe and poses a serious risk to student safety, school property, and classroom learning,' wrote Esmeralda Sanchez Moseley, assistant superintendent of student services. She warned that any student found deliberately tampering with a Chromebook would be held financially responsible for repairs or replacements, which can cost up to $350, and would face disciplinary consequences under the California Education Code. On Thursday, the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District in the East Bay issued a similar warning. 'We take this issue very seriously as it can not only result in the destruction of valuable school property, but more importantly, poses significant personal safety risks including the potential for electric shock, burns or other injuries,' the district said in a letter. In Connecticut, Newington High School was evacuated after a student's Chromebook caught fire. In Arizona, a middle school classroom was briefly closed due to smoke and burning plastic, and in New Jersey, a 15-year-old student faces arson charges for allegedly setting a device on fire. Officials say that beyond the financial impact, the trend carries serious health and safety risks. Damaged lithium-ion batteries — standard in Chromebooks — can overheat rapidly, potentially reaching temperatures above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Fire officials in Maryland and Texas have warned that the consequences could include burns, toxic fumes, or widespread property damage. 'We urge all families to speak with their students about the dangers and seriousness of this issue,' Moseley added. 'While platforms like TikTok can be creative and fun, they can also promote harmful or misleading trends.'
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Dangerous viral trend has students setting laptops on fire, prompting school evacuations
What began as another viral stunt on TikTok has quickly escalated into a national safety concern, with students across the US deliberately setting their laptops on fire as part of a reckless online trend. Dubbed the #ChromebookChallenge, the trend involves inserting conductive objects, such as paper clips, springs, pushpins, or even mechanical pencil lead, into the laptop's charging port. The result? Electrical short circuits that can spark smoke, flames, and school-wide chaos, reported the New York Post. Connecticut has emerged as a hotspot for these incidents, most notably at Newington High School, which had to be evacuated last week after a student's device started spewing smoke. 'The room at the time of the fire was filling with smoke,' Newington fire marshal DJ Zordon told NBC Connecticut. But the trend has spread far beyond the state's borders. Reports have surfaced in school districts across California, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Washington, where officials are warning students and parents of the risks. 'It's more than just a trend,' Zordon said. 'It causes a lot of disruption. The school has to be evacuated, firefighters respond to the firehouse and subsequently to the scene, it takes resources from any other emergencies that might be happening at that time.' On TikTok, variations of the trend exist under names like #ChromebookDurabilityTest and #FStudent. The videos often show students laughing as they sabotage their laptops, waiting for smoke to rise while mocking schoolwork with captions like, 'anything but work.' Also read: Rare behind-the-scenes footage: Emotional moment Pope Leo XIV embraces cardinals after landmark election In Connecticut alone, schools in Southington, Cromwell, Derby, and Newington have all reported similar incidents. In neighbouring East Fishkill, New York, fire officials issued stern warnings after another case surfaced. TikTok has stated that it removed 99.7% of dangerous content proactively from October to December last year. Still, the speed at which this trend has spread has raised questions about the platform's ability to contain harmful challenges. Dangerous acts can be reported under TikTok's 'Dangerous activities and challenges' category, but many say enforcement lags behind viral growth. In the meantime, the consequences are adding up. Schools are facing expensive repairs and significant class disruptions, while local police departments, like in Providence, Rhode Island, are warning that students could face criminal charges for setting their devices alight. Students caught engaging in the trend may also be subject to school disciplinary actions. Also read: Chinese surgeon dismissed after wife exposes affairs with nurse and junior doctor As experts urge parents to discuss the serious risks with their children, educators are scrambling to stay ahead of a trend that's spreading faster than they can contain it.
New York Post
08-05-2025
- New York Post
Dangerous social media craze encourages kids to set their laptops on fire — causing chaos in schools
Forget harmless pranks — TikTok's latest trend has students setting their Chromebooks ablaze, sparking school evacuations and safety warnings across the country. Known as the #ChromebookChallenge, the dangerous stunt encourages kids to jam metal objects, like paper clips and pushpins, into the charging ports of their laptops, causing electrical short circuits that can ignite fires. Connecticut is ground zero for the reckless trend, with Newington High School evacuated last week after a student's laptop started spewing toxic smoke. Advertisement 6 Move over, harmless pranks — TikTok's latest craze has students turning their Chromebooks into fire hazards, triggering school evacuations and safety alerts nationwide. Henry – 'The room at the time of the fire was filling with smoke,' Newington fire marshal DJ Zordon said, as reported by NBC Connecticut. 'The batteries that are essentially catching on fire, once they burn, they're producing this toxic smoke.' Advertisement The unsettling phenomenon isn't just confined to the Nutmeg State. Schools across California, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Washington have issued warnings about the trend, which sees students inserting mechanical pencil lead, aluminum foil, and other conductive items into Chromebook ports. 'It's more than just a trend,' Zordon continued. 6 Dubbed the #ChromebookChallenge, the reckless stunt dares kids to shove metal objects — like paper clips and pushpins — into their laptop charging ports, sparking dangerous short circuits. @sl1desh0wz2/TikTok Advertisement 'It causes a lot of disruption. The school has to be evacuated, firefighters respond to the firehouse and subsequently to the scene, it takes resources from any other emergencies that might be happening at that time.' On TikTok, the trend goes by other names like #ChromebookDurabilityTest and #FStudent, with some videos racking up thousands of views in mere hours. 6 Connecticut is the epicenter of the dangerous trend, with Newington High School evacuated last week after a student's laptop started belching toxic smoke. NBC Clips show kids cackling as they jam springs and pins into their laptops, waiting for smoke to billow out — all for a few moments of viral fame and comments like, 'anything but work,' mocking that they'd rather torch their Chromebooks than do schoolwork. Advertisement And the consequences are mounting, as NBC Connecticut noted. In Southington, Connecticut, students at Southington High School were evacuated on May 7 after another Chromebook fire, fire officials said. 6 Videos show kids laughing as they shove springs and pins into their laptops, waiting for smoke to pour out — all for a shot at viral fame and quips like, 'anything but work,' joking they'd rather torch their Chromebooks than hit the books. @Dangerous TikTok trend sees students set their laptops on fire/TikTok Similar incidents have been reported in Cromwell, Derby, and Newington, Connecticut, as well as East Fishkill, New York, prompting stern warnings from state fire officials. But the chaos isn't just about a few kids seeking attention. Videos of the trend have flooded TikTok's For You page, and school officials are struggling to keep up. 6 It's not just a handful of attention-seekers causing chaos — TikTok's For You page is flooded with videos of the trend, leaving school officials scrambling to keep up. NBC According to TikTok, 99.7% of dangerous content flagged from October to December last year was removed proactively, but the platform still faces criticism for how quickly such trends spread. Advertisement TikTok allows users to report dangerous content through its 'Dangerous activities and challenges' category, but that hasn't stopped the spread. And for school districts, the fallout is costly — from potential fines for damaged equipment to missed class time due to evacuations. 6 TikTok users can flag risky content under its 'Dangerous activities and challenges' category, but that hasn't slowed the spread. Meanwhile, schools are paying the price — from costly device repairs to lost class time during evacuations. @schoolshenanigans05/TikTok Advertisement For now, experts are urging parents to talk to their kids about the risks — and schools to enforce strict punishments for those caught participating. Police in Providence, Rhode Island, warned WJAR that students torching their Chromebooks for TikTok clout could be hit with school punishments — and maybe even criminal charges. But with the TikTok trend still spreading like wildfire, let's hope it's not too late to put this blaze out.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
New TikTok challenge puts classmates in danger, fire officials say
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A new challenge primarily appearing on TikTok has Connecticut fire officials issuing a warning this week. 'It is vitally important that youth and adults take fire risks seriously and recognize the danger inherent to these types of social media 'challenges,'' Volkert said. 'Fire can become uncontrolled and turn deadly in just a few seconds.' Laptop fire prompts student evacuation at Newington High School The challenge encourages students to short circuit their personal or school-issued electronic devices by putting pencil lead or other conductive objects like paperclips into the USB or charge ports. As a result, sparks and a significant amounts of smoke can be generated, which could result in a fire that could spread to nearby items. It could also lead the internal battery to experience thermal runaway and ignition, Connecticut State Fire Marshal Lauri Volkert and State Fire Administrator Jeff Morrissette said in their Tuesday warning. 17 students, staff displaced following fire at Cheshire Academy Chuck Stanyke- a member of the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control and school security director in Ansonia- said students following challenges on social media are usually unaware of how dangerous they are. 'The resulting thermal runaway can cause toxic gases to issue from the device. By intentionally causing these types of emergencies, youth are putting their peers and teachers at risk as well as tying up emergency response agencies and possibly delaying their response elsewhere,' Stanyke said. In the last week, there have been several incidents in Connecticut schools, including a laptop fire that evacuated Newington High School. No injuries were reported and the fire was kept to the area of origin, with damage only sustained to the computer and the desk it was on, fire officials said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
