Neknomination: Social Media to Blame?

The big story this week is about a lethal drinking game called “Neknomination” which has gone viral. The rules of this game are simple: you film yourself downing an alcoholic drink (usually in large quantities) and then nominate a friend to outdo you. You must also post a video of this on social media. Currently, this game has killed at least five men under the age of 30.

The main question that seems to be the “hot button” is who is responsible? People are suggesting that sites being used to distribute this game, such as Facebook, should take ownership and recognize their role in this game. Facebook has of course already issued a statement saying they do not tolerate content that causes direct harm but also does not find certain behaviors against their rules. I am not sure what YouTube has decided to do yet. It appears that people are targeting Facebook and place blame on this social media giant more than others and are not consistent in their criticisms.

I am wondering this: If an individual is old enough to drink alcohol (21+), they are considered an adult. So is this adult not the one who should be responsible for deciding to play the game or not? Also (I am just looking at this from my point of view), I would NEVER post a video of myself drinking on a social media site. Sharing content like that would most likely damage any personal and professional opportunities I may have in the future. Once something goes online, it is always out there. Just because you delete it, doesn’t mean it’s deleted. We all know this by now….it’s called a digital footprint….. Am I the only thinking about that?

While I do think that the sites being used to distribute content about the game should address the issue, I don’t think they are directly responsible for people’s actions. However, to avoid any further bad PR drama, they might want to consider removing the videos. One can only hope that this game fizzles out quickly.