‘I heard screaming’: Roseville students react to TikTok challenge encouraging laptop explosions

By Michelle Bandur

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    ROSEVILLE, Calif. (KCRA) — A dangerous online trend is making its way to Northern California schools.

The new TikTok trend is so concerning, the app itself has put up a warning when you try to search it. Students are trying to make their school-issued Chromebooks explode.

Tristan Peeples, 12, didn’t know what was happening at his Wilson C. Riles Middle School Wednesday afternoon.

“I was two rooms away from the room with the challenge. I heard screaming,” he said.

He and his sister learned later that a classmate tried the TikTok Chromebook challenge.

“I heard that people in my school were going around and putting lead into their laptops,” said Serena Peeples. “I was like, ‘OK, well, that’s stupid.'”

The superintendent of the Center Joint Unified School District is warning students to not try to fry their Chromebooks by shoving lead pencils or something sharp into the keyboard or charging ports.

“This is dangerous. It could be more threatening than people think,” said Scott Loehr. “You see this harmless challenge, you think, ‘On TikTok?’ It’s not harmless.”

Videos of smoking laptops are showing up online from the challenge from different schools around the country.

“It’s not all fun and games. It is a very serious thing that could cause some very significant damage or injury,” said Loehr.

He said his student’s computer also started smoking, but never showed any flames.

As a precaution, the teacher used the fire extinguisher and evacuated the classroom.

“This is just going too far, putting the safety of others and themself at risk,” said Serena Peeples. “It’s just bad.”

TikTok is also taking this online dare seriously.

When you search for “Chromebook challenge” in the app, no videos pop up.

Instead, there is a safety warning and resources for users.

Tristan Peeples has a message for his classmates.

“You’re dummies and doing stuff that is not safe,” he said.

Every student receives a school-issued Chromebook, and at $500 each, the TikTok challenge is not only dangerous, but expensive.

“It’s just wasting the small resources that we already have. It could be going towards so many other things,” said mother Fenny Peeples. “Our kids are lucky. We’re lucky that we can buy them laptops at home. But what about those students who can’t? That is not fair to them.”

“Our school was an example of one that this could have been a lot worse, but thankfully, it was not,” said Loehr.

No students were hurt in the Roseville or Sacramento challenges. Loehr said the student faces disciplinary action and could be suspended for five days.

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