Students describe dangerous social media 'challenge' that's made its way to London

A new social media trend that's captured the attention of young people across North America is damaging school equipment here at home and is posing a fire risk in London schools.

Known as the "Chromebook Challenge," the trend sees students put items like paper clips or pencil lead into the USB ports of school-owned laptops, with the goal of causing a spark or smoke cloud, and capturing it on camera.

"I saw it, but I didn't see any sparks though. One time it smelt weird but that's about it. People in other schools have had theirs spark up," Grade 7 Northridge Public School student Ben Sontag said.

The viral challenge is making waves through Canadian and American schools, as videos of students attempting the trend rack up views on sites like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

Last week, the Toronto District Catholic School Board sent a letter home to parents warning them students caught sticking material in their laptops would be disciplined.

The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) said it only knows of one incident that caused damage to a school-owned device.

"The incident was addressed according to TVDSB's policies and procedures," spokesperson Kyle Rea said, who would not elaborate on what that meant. "As always, the safety of our students, staff and school communities remain our top priority."

When CBC News spoke to students at Northridge, they said it's happening, usually at lunchtime, and that the school has had announcements telling them to stop. The TVDSB did not respond multiple requests for clarification.

At a school in the United States, a 15-year-old New Jersey student was charged after sticking lead from a mechanical pencil into a laptop port. A Connecticut school was also evacuated. 

"I don't think it's worth it. It's a waste of time," Sontag said. "I feel like you'll get in trouble and you're going to have to pay a lot of money to fix it."

Fire experts serious about risks

Beyond damage to school devices, both Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) and the Electrical Safety Authority cautioned parents about the health risks of the behaviour. 

"This has the potential to cause serious fires, which not only causes smoke to fill classrooms and hallways, but also puts students at risk of serious injury due to this activity," OFM spokesperson Kristen Polito wrote in an email to CBC News.

Devices like Chromebooks and other laptops contain lithium ion batteries that are vulnerable when tampered with or when they overheat. 

"That interaction can trigger an explosion, not only injuring the person who has physically put the paper clip or any object into that receptacle, but it can also cause a fire or explode toward the individuals around the device, causing them to be burned as well," Electrical Safety Authority's Patience Cathcart said on London Morning.

A shock is also possible, which could lead to nerve damage, anxiety and memory loss, Cathcart said.

As of June 6, 2025, TikTok has blocked users' ability to search "Chromebook Challenge," "Paper Clip Challenge" and other related terms, and instead displays a safety warning. 

Some parents and guardians are taking note of the challenge and talking with their families about it.

"There is a lot of harm done by social media. That's a concern for me as a mom and a grandma of 10 kids," Margo Trotter said when she was at Northridge picking up her granddaughter.

"It's really a family thing, where parental guidance really needs to be put in place by those who aren't aware of what their children are doing."