Neknominate

Neknominate, also known as neck and nominate, neknomination or neck nomination, is an online drinking game. The original rules of the game require the participants to film themselves drinking a pint of an alcoholic beverage, usually beer, in one gulp (known as necking) and upload the footage to the web. A participant then nominates another person to do the same within 24 hours.[1][2][3]

A still taken from a neknominate challenge video

The game became popular in early 2014, and as it spread it escalated, with nominees performing the challenge in more extreme circumstances, drinking more potent beverages or engaging in dangerous activities either during or immediately after drinking. The British tabloid newspaper Metro reported that at least five deaths in the United Kingdom and Ireland are believed to have been directly linked to the drinking game.[4][5] One of these was Jonathan Byrne from County Carlow, whose father later appeared on The Late Late Show.[6][7]

History

Neknominate originated in New Zealand before spreading to the UK and Ireland.[8] The game's popularity has been linked to a video posted to Facebook by Ross Samson, a London Irish rugby player, on 25 December 2013, in which he drinks a bottle of beer and says "I nominate all of you whose birthday it’s not. Merry Christmas." After deaths were linked to the game, Samson distanced himself from it.[9]

An early mention was made of the game on Twitter in 2011, when a British man mentioned playing it with a friend via Skype. In 2013, up until Samson's video, the game was only mentioned 198 times on Twitter; in the two weeks after his video, it was mentioned 1,048 times.[9]

Criticism

The game has been criticised for the danger it poses to participants. Five people are believed to have died as a result of playing the game, including a Cardiff man thought to have downed a pint of vodka,[4] and a London hostel worker who reportedly mixed an entire bottle of white wine with a quarter bottle of whisky, a small bottle of vodka and a can of lager.[10] In the latter case, the victim's nominator was interviewed by police, but it was ruled an accidental death without coercion.[11]

In Ireland, the group Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society expressed concern that posting the videos could "appeal to and be taken up by vulnerable younger drinkers".[12] Alcohol Action Ireland also shared concerns about the game.[13]

Variants

In February 2014, a group of South Africans adapted the Neknominate game into a challenge to perform random acts of kindness for others.[14] Similar kindness challenges include Feed the Deed in Canada[15] and SmartNominate in France, which encourages participants to donate food to homeless people or give blood.[16] The Ice Bucket Challenge, an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water on someone's head to promote awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) and encourage donations to research went viral on social media during July–August 2014.[17][18]

See also

References
  1. Hood, Stuart (4 February 2014). "NekNominate: don't demonise this dumb drinking game". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  2. "Neknominate extreme online drinking game 'disturbing'". CBC News. 1 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  3. Krishnan, Joe (3 February 2014). "Neknominate: South African man pledges to use his 'Neknomination' to reduce poverty". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-06-18. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  4. Tahir, Tariq (10 February 2014). "Two British men killed by NekNominate drink dares". Metro. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  5. "Neknominate Drinking Game going Viral". Metro. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  6. "Priest urges young people to avoid Neknominations". RTÉ News. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  7. Kane, Conor (6 February 2014). "'You owe it to Jonathan Byrne to say no to neknomination'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  8. "NekNomination death: NI drinking game web page discontinued". BBC News. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  9. "'It's gone too far': Necknominate drinking craze started by Brit who wants 'nothing more to do with it'". Daily Mirror. 15 February 2014. pp. Aldridge, Gemma.
  10. "British hostel receptionist dies after NekNomination dare". Metro. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  11. "Neknominate victim Issac Richardson drank 30 units in two minutes". BBC News. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  12. Cullen, Clare (20 January 2014). "MEAS concern as 'Neck Nominations' Facebook game reaches Ireland". Irish Independent. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  13. Brennan, Colin (31 January 2014). "Neck nominations: Internet drinking craze 'Neknominate' slammed by Alcohol Action Ireland". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  14. "NekNominate: South Africans turn drinking craze into force for good". The Daily Telegraph. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  15. Mandel, Michele (6 February 2014). "Online drinking game sparks kindness challenge". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  16. Voinson, Julien (19 February 2014). "J'ai détourné la Neknomination, le jeu d'alcool sur Facebook, pour en faire un jeu...utile". Nouvel Obs. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  17. Lost Coast of New Zealand (2014-07-09). "Charities benefit from viral ice challenge". TVNZ. Retrieved 2014-08-17.
  18. "News". Cancer Society Auckland. Retrieved 2014-08-17.
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