A TikTok trend has made its way to Niles West in which a person inserts pencil lead into the USB port of a school-issued Chromebook. The lead can cause a Chromebook to short-circuit and start smoking due to the amount of voltage going from the battery to the motherboard.
Dean David Hawk emailed students on May 8, warning them not to participate.
“Please know that any intentional manipulation or destruction to District 219 Chromebooks can result in a dangerous outcome that may compromise your safety, that of those around you, and create a disruption to our learning environment,” Hawk said.
West computer technician Areian Zarrieneh believes the trend will cause disruption if students participate.
“It’s going to cause a whole huge disruption to learning and everything in the classroom and everybody around them if that does happen,” Zarrieneh said.
New Chromebooks contain batteries that will not smoke or explode, but older Chromebook models with a different battery may smoke. A sophomore who has requested to remain anonymous reported that their friend stuck pencil lead into their Chromebook.
“For me, it was just like a tiny spark. Tech center said that the Chromebook has a built-in system where [if] someone tries to tamper with it, like a short circuit, the battery doesn’t catch on fire or anything. He just has to take the battery out and put it back in, and it starts working again,” the student said.
Hawk’s email indicated that students who damage their Chromebooks will face consequences.
“Do not attempt this in any form. Students found to be participating in this trend of intentionally damaging their Chromebook will be held accountable and liable for any damages incurred and disruption caused,” Hawk said.
Other TikTok trends have caught on at West in the past, including Devious Licks in 2021, in which students damaged school bathrooms.
Anecdotally, some students have tried putting pencil lead in their Chromebooks, but according to the tech help desk, there have been “no reported cases” of West students doing so. A high school student in New Jersey was charged with third-degree arson and criminal mischief after participating in the TikTok challenge.
