Oklahoma’s school districts are alerting parents about a concerning new challenge spreading on social media where children are attempting to burn their provided tablets and laptops.
The Mid-Del School District’s Executive Director of Technology penned a letter to Superintendent Rick Cobb along with the district’s Board of Education, highlighting this growing concern.
This challenge prompts children to place pencil lead or other conductive substances into the USB ports of their provided Chromebooks, tablets, or laptops at school.
“Aside from being harmful fun, this poses a major safety hazard,” White stated in the letter.
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Should a student damage their Chromebook provided by Mid-Del Schools, it will not fall under the coverage of the district’s accidental device protection plan. Any alteration to the device could be classified as an act of destroying school property and might be regarded as either vandalism or arson according to both district policies and local laws.
Parents would subsequently be required to pay the district $274 for a replacement.
We urge all parents and guardians to discuss with their children the seriousness of this matter,” White stated. “Actions inspired by online fads can result in actual repercussions—going far beyond mere likes or views on social platforms.
Should a student come across or observe this trend, they should submit an anonymous tip via the district’s STOP IT app or discuss it directly with a faculty member, administrative staff, or a school resource officer.
