A Drinking Game?: Possible Danger in "NekNominate"

Recently there has been a spree amongst my friends, posting videos drinking alcohol and challenging my other friends, tagged in the post, to drink the same amount of alcohol and to re-post a recording of said drinking experience. Or, they coerce the original friend who posted the video to buy a drink or lunch, thus, creating a branching effect between my friends and friends of my friends, each trying out-do each other or trying to compel others to join in on the “fun.” The popularity of this game has raised many eyebrows in the media and many parents in general as there have been a few reports of people dying from alcohol related accidents that the media attributed to this game dubbed “NekNominate.” I see these posts more and more on my feed and my thoughts seem to begin to wonder on the same lines of the media. Is this game going to cause any harm? I would say yes to some point.

ABC News: Neknomination Deadly Drinking Game Takes Off on Internet

as found on b4tea.blogspot.com

The social coercion that arrives from the interconnectedness of friendship and relations more often in this situation compels any person to fulfill the role of the “perfect friend.” It is a moment in the spotlight for many people: a proof of manhood or of strength, giving them all the reason to apply themselves to conform to the situation. I want you to know that you do not actually have to be compelled to drink if you do not want to, or for the matter, be forced to pay for a drink or lunch for trying to leave a situation that thus seems to be an inevitable social doom.

One suggestion I have, if you ever fall into this situation, is to just basically not respond to the situation or just ignore the post and let it be lost within your feed. If your friend ever asks you about it, just say you did not see the post. And, if they try to convince you to either copy the act or buy more alcohol or spend money in any way, just try to laugh it off and get your friend to laugh with you and try to shrug it off.

as found on Forbes.com

Another suggestion you can try is to reply to the message and try to question their motives for why they are actually in the post. There is no likely concrete reason for explaining themselves a reason for them tagging you in the post other than “I want you to drink” or something along the lines of “But, everyone is doing it.” These are not very good reasons for explaining why you should do what your friend is asking. Just keep trying to get them to give you a good concrete answer, of which there is none.

Always remember this game only begins when you decide to go along with it. And, if you do, I hope you will be safe about it and know your limits to this possibly dangerous trend that is going around. I personally do not want to hear any stories where people have died or are coerced into paying for alcohol due to the improper moral boundaries within this game.