School districts are seeing incident after incident of students taking part in The Chromebook Challenge. Students are inserting conductive objects — such as lead from mechanical pencils, staples, paperclips or push pins — into the charging or USB ports of their Chromebooks. Chromebooks are overheating and becoming completely unusable. Floors are being scorched. Lessons are interrupted. Classrooms are evacuated.
Sign up for Bizwomen's free daily newsletter for news about businesswomen across the country and business intelligence to help you grow your business, advance your career and simplify your professional life.
Property damage is one concern; however, a larger concern is putting lives and the health of students and staff at risk. Students from elementary school to high school have been participating in this challenge.
TikTok has since removed content related to “Chromebook challenge” and labeled lingering content as dangerous but students are still fully aware of the growing trend. Objects continue to be inserted. Chromebooks continue to smoke, and classrooms continue to be disrupted.
The finish line is here on the 24-25 school year. We have had a conversation. I do not know the statistics on gender but assume males are predominately fulfilling this challenge. My message to both sons: “Let’s all try to finish the year without property damages, unnecessary school fees and avoidable consequences.”
Rachel Shomate is a single mother of two young boys and a mental health therapist for a school district in South Carolina who became an unexpected widow at the age of 30. She shares her perspective and her experiences on the moments that life brings forward at work and at home and the many times when those worlds are intertwined.