“Thanks for the nomination”: the opening line of the videos that have swarmed our news feeds, plastered our front pages, and filled our conversations of late. A ‘deadly’ game in which nominated contestants are given 24 hours to ‘nek’ a pint – seems harmless enough, until watching numerous videos of ‘pint-downing’ becomes mundane, and the urge to feed the inner dare-devil proves too much for us mere mortals. From idiotic to downright disgusting, we’ve seen it all. The game has since led to deaths, rapes, and henceforth, pleas from families, friends and state officials to stop playing with fire. Pat Rabbitte has branded it a “stupid and silly phenomenon”, with Enda Kenny insisting “this is not a game”. The social media craze has evidently led to tragic consequences, yet the debate that lies at the heart of this phenomenon is a lot more complex. Sadly, putting an end to this ‘game’ will not quash the issues embedded within.
Neknomination, while posing a threat to society, has merely pointed out our flaws. Flaws that have been damaging and tormenting our youths for decades, only to rear their ugly faces in a detrimental climax, for which we have social media to thank. Not that Facebook is entirely to blame, rather it provided a platform for us to see for ourselves what’s really going on behind our screens. For we are a nation of contradictions. One that denounces youths ‘downing’ pints, yet openly encourages international figures to do so as a salute to the Irish people. One that quotes the damaging statistics surrounding binge-drinking, yet votes for boozy politicians. One that sees the damage of excess drinking splashed across its newspapers week after week, yet still maintains its reputation as the ultimate binge destination, currently topping the charts of the European league, last month devouring double the European average. It’s official: we have a problem.
Yet, again, we are not entirely to blame. In an ever-changing culture of paranoia, dominated by social media platforms, frankly, we’re out of our depth. A constantly inward-looking society where selfies and Snapchats top our to-do-lists, our lives are more virtual than ever before. Where once there was a divide between Irish teens and adults, there now lies a giant gorge. The idea of ‘one-upmanship’ that has been discussed in the wake of the Neknomination is nothing new. Rather, it is something that has been encouraged and fed through the media for our youths to embrace and develop in their own ways. The design of social media is such that it provides the ultimate spawning ground for paranoia, fear, self-hate, peer-pressure, cruelty and so-called ‘one-upmanship’. At their most basic, these platforms are portrayals of ourselves, however cut off from reality, to be judged and ridiculed by just about anyone. Is it any wonder we can’t compete?
But all hope is not lost. Our only challenge is to build a bridge over this so-called gorge, in an attempt to mend the gap that has widened over time, and to salvage the communication lost somewhere in between. Let the first brick be a much needed debate on our binge-drinking culture. For us to really speak to our youths, we first need to address ourselves. As teachers have long been preaching, we lead by example. Let’s be honest, teens are not the only ones playing with fire.
Photo credit: Ben Kotz http://ruralleaderonline.com/2014/01/16/in-defence-of-neknominate-skulling-a-beer-is-not-stupid-doing-that-regularly-would-be/
Jumbo Shrimp 