From reading updates from friends and family to watching cute cat videos, Americans spend on average over 3 hours a day on social media. And that\u2019s why a dangerous new meme is causing such a stir.<\/p>\n
The drinking game “NekNominate” is sweeping Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other social media outlets throughout Australia, the U.K., and North America.<\/p>\n
The game starts when one person takes videos or pictures of themselves downing a large amount of alcohol\u2014usually while doing a wild stunt\u2014and posts the images on social media. The person then \u201cnominates\u201d friends to top their \u201cnecking,\u201d post their own images, and in turn\u00a0nominate more people.<\/p>\n
With each round, the antics\u2014and the amount of alcohol consumed\u2014escalate. Stunts from NekNominators range from stupid to just plain gross, such as drinking alcohol out of a toilet or stripping down in public while chugging a beer. In one video, a man adds a dead mouse to his alcoholic smoothie.<\/p>\n
But some of the videos show behaviors that are\u00a0outright dangerous. One man is\u00a0seen skateboarding on a highway toward oncoming traffic while gulping from a funnel. Drinking while driving is also\u00a0popular. And even without the dangerous pranks, NekNominators often\u00a0down considerable quantities of hard alcohol very quickly.<\/p>\n
Stupid drinking games are nothing new. But the dynamics of social media make the NekNominate fad particularly concerning. It doesn\u2019t take long for popular memes to spread rapidly and across large geographical areas. NekNominators often name a handful of friends in their video, or with a few clicks, they can tag and nominate dozens of people. And the desire to rack up likes, comments, and retweets may spur some participants to think up wilder and more dangerous ways to complete their nomination.<\/p>\n
The game also appeals to\u00a0social media users who are too young to drink legally<\/a>. In a recent CNN story<\/a>, a father described how his young son was nominated. The boy chugged a bootful of water but told his friends he was drinking vodka. The boy\u2019s response illustrates the peer pressure some may feel to participate\u2014those who are nominated but fail to join in face being ridiculed on social media for everyone to see.<\/p>\n