Two Providence school students and a staff member were brought to the hospital after ‘Chromebook challenge' incident

Boston Globe

19-05-2025

Pinto confirmed the incident was a result of what's known as the 'Chromebook challenge' but said she was unable to provide specific details of what happened, including who was involved or how it began.
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There were no updates on the condition of the two students and teacher as of early Monday afternoon, Pinto wrote.
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Teachers and school staff across the country have been alarmed as students have picked up the social media trend,
Challenge participants will jam objects – anything from staples and push pins to graphite from pencils and metallic gum wrappers – into their laptops so the devices begin to spark and smoke, the Times reported. Students then pull out their phones and film the spectacle, and upload the videos online.
'This is very concerning behavior and disruptive to the learning environment,' Ferranti wrote in her letter on Monday. 'It is a threat to school safety and students caught doing this will face immediate disciplinary action.'
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Ferranti urged parents to speak to their children 'about the potential hazard that these actions may cause.'
In a
Students face risk of electrical shock and fire, all while leaving behind permanent damage to expensive school equipment, authorities said. They may also face disciplinary actions – 'and even legal consequences,' police wrote.
🔴 PARENTS — BE AWARE! 🔴
A dangerous TikTok trend called the 'Chromebook Challenge' is
circulating among students — and...
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In Cranston, police said last week authorities were investigating whether several students tried to carry out the trend at Achievement First Iluminar Middle School on Friday afternoon, according to
Police Major Todd Patalano told the news station police were called to the school after a Chromebook malfunctioned, filling a classroom with smoke and setting off fire alarms, prompting evacuation of the building.
Patalano did not immediately return a request for comment from the Globe on Monday, but told WPRI detectives were questioning four 12-year-old students about how the laptop malfunctioned. No one was injured as a result of the incident, Patalano said.
Christopher Gavin can be reached at