BEL AIR, Md. — We have seen volatile lithium-ion batteries explode and spark fires in recent years, and now, even those, which drive school-issued laptops can ignite on a smaller scale when students jam metal objects into their USB ports as part of the Chromebook challenge.
The Harford County school system has alerted parents to some of the first incidents in our area.
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“We did get outreach from one of our administrators who had seen a student actually attempt the challenge in their building,” said Communications Manager Jillian Lader, who adds students could face disciplinary action and would be required to pay for any damaged school property associated with the challenge.
“There hasn’t been any large extent of damage. However, it’s that damage to those individual devices that concerns us,” said Lader, “Those are expensive. Those are items that really should be focused on educational use and so if those are damaged, we’re putting the students at a disadvantage. They won’t have those tools and resources to use in the classroom.”
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In addition to the incidents here in Harford County, the Office of the State Fire Marshal has reports of similar incidents in Prince George’s County.
Along with the damage and disruption, intentionally short circuiting the devices can lead to fires or explosions.
“Sticking pencils or lead or metallic objects inside these Chromebooks can certainly lead to thermal runaway within the batteries, which can lead to toxic smoke, injuries—-not only to the person, but also to anyone that’s in the immediate area,” said Senior Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire.
Parents are encouraged to discuss the potential dangers of the challenge with their children and the risks of ignoring them.
