Ontario fire officials are warning youth and parents about a social media challenge that involves tampering with Chromebook batteries.
The “challenge” has led to fire incidents, the Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal said on X.
“Talk to your teen,” the Fire Marshal said. “This is more than a bad idea—it’s a serious fire hazard.”
The trend has spread across the U.S. and students at schools have damaged Chromebooks for views on social media, according to news reports.
TikTok has reportedly banned the videos on their site.
Some versions of the Chromebook Challenge involve trying to overheat, tamper with, or short-circuit the devices.
Items such as graphite from pencils, aluminum foil or paper clips have been used in the challenge. The laptops can overheat and catch fire.
In one incident involving the challenge in Plainville, Connecticut a student was sent to hospital for smoke inhalation and the same student faced criminal charges after the school was evacuated.
A 13-year-old …