Audrey Folia | Head Editor
May 27, 2025
With the resurgence in both the “ice bucket challenge” and nominating people to participate in online trends, it seems as though the social media landscape is beginning to replicate that of 2016. But, just as this era of social media was categorized by dangerous trends such as the “Tide Pod Challenge,” the rise of the so-called “Chromebook Challenge” has begun raising concerns in schools.
Also called “2.0 GPA activities,” an acknowledgment that the trend is not the smartest thing to do, this challenge is essentially defined as doing anything to spark a fire, most commonly sticking lead and other objects into Chromebooks. And, when things like paper clips are shoved into charging ports, it causes heavy smoking from the device and, in some cases, it can even cause it to short circuit.
The “Chromebook Challenge” is something that has been circulating on both national and local levels. In New Hampshire, for example, one school reported having 15 incidents of the challenge over the span of three days, according to CBS News. Another case occurred in Belleville, New Jersey, with a 15-year-old high school student being arrested for third-degree arson and criminal mischief. More locally, a 13-year-old girl in the Long Beach Unified School District was arrested and is also being accused of arson. Junior Chloe Chafin described their actions as “middle school behavior,” claiming that doing such is “irresponsible and inappropriate.”
Unfortunately, the trend is something that has even reached San Clemente High School. Junior Liem Sidhu, for example, recalled going to the bathroom only to return to find “a bunch of kids had left a Chromebook dripping with water and smoking” on his desk.
As a whole, the trend reflects the dangerous presence social media can have. While it has undeniably created a more interconnected world, it has allowed things like potentially harmful trends to spread even wider. And, the fact that this is occurring at SCHS reflects poorly on the school and students’ willingness to participate in unsafe behavior for the sake of a trend. Though there has only been one report in which a student was hospitalized for inhaling smoke, the trend has the potential to seriously harm students, and, as such, it is important that our school takes action to prevent participation in the challenge and ensure the safety of our students.
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