4 Feb 2014

From ‘NekNominate’ to ‘donominate’: the backlash begins

NekNominate is the drinking game that happens online instead of the pub. But after being linked to two deaths in Ireland, the backlash has already started.

A 'NekNominate' Facebook page banner

Photo: a ‘NekNominate’ Facebook page banner

A Facebook page set up to encourage people to post videos of their drinking and nominate friends to do the same, had over 10,000 “likes” in just one week.

But the Northern Ireland-based site was taken down on Monday by those who set it up, after two people died in the space of a few days after reportedly taking part in the drinking game.

The brother of Jonny Byrne, who died when he jumped into the river in Carlow, Ireland, reportedly after playing the game, called on people to opt out.

“My young 19-year-old brother died tonight in the middle of his nomination,” he said. “He thought he had to try and beat the competition. After he necked his pint, he jumped into the river. If people have any decency and respect they will refrain from anymore of this stupid NekNomination.”

Another young man, Ross Cummins, a 22-year-old DJ, died in hospital at the weekend apparently after playing the game. Both men were from the north of Ireland, but living in the Republic when they died.

What is #neknominate?

NekNominate” involves downing a drink while being filmed, posting it onto a social networking site, and “tagging” friends to do the same within 24 hours.

In some cases, it quickly escalates however, with friends wanting to surpass what has gone before either in what they’re drinking, or in the stunts that happen before and after. One woman from Newry, Northern Ireland, stirred widespread controversy after drinking a goldfish along with her pint.

The “NekNominate Ireland” Facebook page is still in operation. It describes the game as “a social media game to call out your friends. Nek (sic) your drink & call out two of your friends to do the same in 24Hrs. Who drinks you decide!”

The deaths have led to calls from charities, politicians – and some participants – for the trend to stop. And Ireland’s Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte called on Facebook to take down the page, saying: “it would be helpful if Facebook agreed to take down pages, which promote a stupid and silly phenomenon.”

But Facebook has rejected calls to ban pages and videos. It said the craze was not unique to its site and that its approach is to advise users they have options to report, remove, block or hide messages which they find inappropriate or offensive or activity which they are not comfortable with.

The creators of a NekNominate Facebook page, which has over 33,000 “likes”, expressed their sympathy to the families of Byrne and Cummins, but added: “#neknominate did not create alcohol abuse or binge drinking but does have the potential to influence change.”

From ‘neknominate’ to ‘donominate’

However, on Tuesday the creators said they were promoting a new trend: “donominate”. Instead of encouraging drinking, the page is asking users to share random acts of kindness – and tagging friends to do the same.

It was South African Brent Lindesque who started the trend (see video), when he turned his NekNomination into a donation: he filmed himself handing lunch to someone touting for work at traffic lights – and nominating friends to do the same.

Eoin Healy, a DJ from County Wexford, also turned the trend on its head, when he was nominated. Instead of downing alcohol, he filmed himself making a cup of tea.

“I just think it’s time or this to stop,” he said into the camera. “Some people are taking it a bit too far. What if a 12-year-old sees one of these videos, and thinks they can down a litre of vodka – they could easily collapse and end up in hospital.”

His message was posted online four days before the two deaths were reported. But in a sign that the tide of opinion may be turning, it has been shared and “liked” over 21,000 times – and counting.