Social Media News - Dangerous Social Drinkers
The NekNomination craze!
The power of social media knows no bounds; it has created new jobs, shaped the modern business world and changed social communication forever. But the virtual world also possesses a dark side, giving things like cyber-bullying and online predators a platform within which they can operate. Now, a dangerous new social media craze has swept across the web, claiming lives along the way. NekNomination is a drinking game, with fan groups and YouTube videos dedicated to the deadly practice. Dubbed to have begun in Australia, the craze has since gone global on social media. But following the deaths of some participants, the dangers of the social drinking game have become all too clear.
Source: in2eastafrica.net
Andrew Thomas, a Brit from Shrewsbury, took part in the game, downing a pint in public dressed in minimal clothing. Lending a touch of rugby competition to the game, he tells a local newspaper about his NekNomination, but that wanted to keep his stunt "clean and innocent". He goes on to say that he wanted to 'do something a bit different to stand out", and touched on the fact that he wanted to detract away from the private, spirit-downing nature the game had online.
Although the stunt Thomas performed was not life-threatening in any way, this desire to stand-out highlights the dangerous aspect of NekNomination. Two Irish lads sadly lost their lives earlier this month whilst participating in the game, one of them, Jonny Byrne, jumping in a river after downing his pint, in what is thought to be a bid to win the competition.
The devastated family of Byrne have spoken out about the game, asking people to not take part in the lethal competition. This has led to many campaigns, online and offline, to raise awareness of the craze and to educate youths that NekNomination isn't just a little bit of harmless fun. The 'Ban NekNomination' petition on Facebook now has over 28,000 likes, and admins have confirmed that their petition has been raised at Government level and will discussed at the next governmental meeting.
Facebook became embroiled in the issue, being accused of promoting the craze, after keeping up groups and pages dedicated to the drinking game. Some pages, like "The Best Neknominate Video's (sic)", which had amassed more than 190,000 likes, have been taken down. Facebook initially resisted calls to delete or block any material linked to the game, stating that they "do not tolerate content which is directly harmful, for example bullying, but controversial or offensive behaviour is not necessarily against out rules". Be that as it may, in a recent Guardian poll, 58% of readers voted that Facebook should not ban posts and pages related to NekNominate.
At this point, the dangerous game appears to have lost some steam. Many people have taken action into their own hands; campaigning online or speaking in public. More recently, some nominees have given the competition its own spin, and tried to turn the dangerous activity into an opportunity to do good. 'Smart Nomination' or 'RAKNomination' (Random Act of Kindness-nomination) asks people to perform a random act of kindness, post a video of it, and invite two friends do the same. The RAKNomination page already has over 23,000 likes, giving hope to anti-NekNomination campaigners that the original drinking game will soon start to ebb out.
Charlotte is a trainee journalist, who loves writing about anything and everything. Currently an intern at Social Media Frontiers, you can follow her @charlotteatsmf and @CharlotteR_4.
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info http://socialmediacambridge.co.uk/.
Social Media News - Dangerous Social Drinkers
Reviewed by Anonymous
on
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Rating:
Reviewed by Anonymous
on
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Rating:
Anonymous
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.