ChangeNomination: good deeds instead of Neknomination

The Neknomination game recently made headlines on Facebook. The rules are simple: A nominee has to film himself drinking a beer in one gulp and post the video online. Then, he can nominate three people who have to do the same thing, or they will be punished. ChangeNomination is based on this principle, but instead of drinking beer, the nominee has to do something good and film himself doing it.

The campaign was launched by a group of students at the Kufstein university of applied sciences who do not want to support Neknomination, Markus Kirchmair, one of the initiators, told futurezone. “After the two deaths in recent weeks, we though that it was high time to counter this trend – or stupidity – with something positive,” Kirchmair said. “We want to get people to inspire each other to do good instead of gulping down a beer in one go,” Kirchmair explained.

Good deeds
Each nominee can decide what he wants to do in the video. “It is the small things in life that can have a big effect in total,” state the initiators on the Facebook page. Good ideas include donating money, clothing or blood, the Facebook page says. Or you could thank someone who is not given enough respect by society, for example.

“Change what you want. It’s right when it feels right. Film it. Make sure that you do no harm to yourself or others. Surprise your friends with a random act of kindness, or do something good that you can be proud of,” the Facebook page says. A Twitter account and a YouTube channel have also been created.

Reactions

There has been a lot of positive feedback since the campaign was launched at the beginning of this week, Kirchmair said, though it is not simple to spread the word: “Unfortunately, it is much more difficult to get a good thing to go viral than it is to get something funny to go viral,” Kirchmair noted. The project is being supported by friends, but also by NGOs: “We have already received support from charitable organizations and friends, and are working on raising awareness,” the student added. The goal is to create a self-sustaining movement that will spread beyond the borders of Austria.