There have been some pretty absurd TikTok challenges over the years. But the most recent one has had an effect on local high school — and fortunately, what could have been a disaster wasn’t because of the quick work of the Belleville Fire Department.
First, background on the challenge.
Somehow, kids came to the realization that by placing something metallic inside ports on Google Chromebooks, it would cause sparks and, in some cases, cause the laptop computers to catch fire. And the concept of the “challenge” is to catch it all in TikTok videos from start to finish.
The kids, in many cases, think this is entertaining — even funny.
But the reality is this “challenge” locally resulted in a fire at Belleville High School and the arrest of a 15-year-old boy who police have charged, as a minor, with third-degree arson and third-degree criminal mischief, Belleville Police Chief Mark Minichini told The Observer Friday of last week.
In explaining, the chief says he wants to send a message loudly and clearly to students and parents alike — there are serious consequences to these actions and the Belleville Police Department is taking its obligation to enforce the law diligently.
“It’s a shame because in this case, the person who did this is a great kid from a great family,” Chief Minichini said. “But this is very serious and if adults were involved in doing something like this, they’d be looking at doing some serious time — three to five years in prison.”
In Belleville’s case, Minichini says the “challenge” began inside a classroom. It caused smoky conditions and the evacuation of the entirety of Belleville High School onto the school’s stadium. Minichini says the Belleville Fire Department handled the situation very quickly. But if adults hadn’t been nearby, the situation could have been significantly worse.
Minichini says it’s his hope everyone — not just those in Belleville — will become more aware of the seriousness of these sort of “pranks.”
“We all like jokes and to joke,” Minichini said. “But we don’t want kids falling for the peer pressure and all the things they see on social media. We all need to keep an eye out for what’s happening on social media” and work to protect kids from following suit.
Minichini also noted aside from the obvious damage a fire could cause, there’s more to it.
“We are fortunate our students and faculty understood the situation,” the chief said. “Fires like this could emit noxious gases and cause a lot of harm and damage to people. It’s just not worth it. And sure, students will say they didn’t mean to do this. But by then, the damage is done.”
Anyone who is aware of students who may plan to pull such “pranks” is advised to reach out to a teacher, school administrator or police officer immediately with as much information as possible.
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All of this falls on the heels of legislation sponsored by state Assemblyman Chris Tully to establish a statewide public awareness campaign on the dangers of social media use to minors, which has advanced out of the Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee.
The bill, A2367, would equip families with critical information about the risks associated with excessive social media use.
“Social media plays a big role in how young people connect and communicate, but it also opens the door to real risks like anxiety, harmful content, and online predators,” Tully, a Bergen County Democrat, said. “This bill is about giving parents the tools and information they need to better understand those risks and help their kids use social media in a safer, healthier way.”
The bill comes in response to growing national concern and echoes findings from the May 2023 U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on social media and youth mental health. According to the advisory, up to 95% of American minors aged 13 to 17 use social media platforms, with more than one-third reporting they use them “almost constantly.”
The advisory noted recent research shows “adolescents who spent more than three hours per day on social media faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes including symptoms of depression and anxiety.”
The legislation, signed into law, would direct the New Jersey Department of Education, in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Health, to launch a public-awareness campaign using newspapers, radio, public service announcements, social media and TV to reach families across the state.
The bill would also incorporate findings from the state’s Commission on the Effects of Social Media Usage on Adolescents, which was established by law in July 2023 and works to determine the extent of social media usage both in and out of public schools and its effects on students’ emotional and physical health and academic performance.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.
