If you’ve been on Facebook lately, there is no doubt that you have been seeing your friends baring it all–their makeup-free faces of course.
Social media has done it again and proved that making a statement is not a hard thing to do in this day in age, with neknominations and the No Makeup Challenge.
For those who are unaware of these social trends, a neknomination and the No Makeup Challenge usually take place on a social platform such as Facebook. In neknominations, a friend posts a video of themself consuming alcohol, usually in a unique fashion then concludes by nominating a fellow friend to do the same.
In the No Makeup Challenge, a friend will post a makeup-free photo of him or herself and then nominate a friend to do the same so the chain continues.
Although controversy has surrounded neknominations for reasons to be discussed, this article will focus on the shift from one movement to the next and how they have evolved.
Neknominations, upon observation, have begun to phase out as new social trends take its place. Some would say that neknominations were just a fun and innocent trend, while others would say they were self-endangering and a form of peer pressure.
On the anti-neknominations side, supporters could argue that alcohol and peer pressure creates a dangerous environment for the nominee and that there have been recorded minimums of five deaths linked to the game.
Trent student Carmen Meyette said neknominations are “adding an unnecessary degree of danger to drinking.”
However, supporters of neknominations argue that neknominations are not entirely any different than being at a party and someone encouraging a friend to drink.
Another student, Jason Englehart, jokingly adds, “I think they are okay for fun … It’s involving alcohol so I have a hard time being against it.”
Neknominations can also be seen as simply being fun or just an interesting social trend to be a part of.
As neknominations begin to lose their steam, a new set of social media challenges have arisen which have demonstrated a positive lean towards self-awareness and even some challenges that are age and interest inclusive.
If drinking is not something you are interested in, there are other challenges such as “List your top 10 favourite songs,” which encourages participants to share music that generally has resonated well with them.
If you’re feeling more charitable, there is “Feed the Deed” where one can nominate a friend who can choose to do an act of kindness, such as donating to a favourite charity.
One of the most popular social trends captivating Facebook users is the “No Makeup Challenge.” Many are not aware that this challenge actually has a deeper significance than just baring ones natural beauty and passing the torch along.
According to BBC Sky News, the “No Make up Challenge,” although not associated with the Cancer Research organization, has created a surge in donations for cancer research.
It is estimated that in the UK this challenge has proven to be beneficial for cancer research, as it has raised over $3-million and counting.
The “No Makeup Challenge” can be seen as a positive tool in social media for not only raising awareness for issues such as cancer but also self-awareness and self-appreciation.
When student Ben Yntema was asked his thoughts on the “No Makeup Challenge”, he expressed his support for the Facebook trend, “I’m okay with the notion of the no makeup selfies because everyone is unique in their own way, so why not embrace it?”
I have personally taken part in the “No Makeup Challenge” and was actually able to find pros and cons in it.
Firstly, it spreads a positive message about natural beauty, confidence, and self-appreciation, and, of course, cancer awareness.
However, when it came time for me to post my au naturel selfie, I found it hard to do. I became worried about all my other insecurities that I felt makeup would normally hide such as blemishes, how uneven I felt my eyes looked without eyeliner, or even the small cut on my lip from where I had bit it earlier. I wanted to post a picture that looked as far from natural while still being able to maintain the fact that I had not used makeup.
Although I am embarrassed to admit it, after a tedious half an hour of trying to capture this girl in her “natural habitat,” I began to realize that I was losing sight of the whole message behind the “No Makeup Challenge.”
So, I put down my phone with the camera built in, pulled out my laptop and opened the camera application and took one picture to rule them all.
Of course, I can look at the photo I uploaded to Facebook and pick out my flaws, but I am proud to say that the “No Makeup Challenge” sincerely was just that: a challenge.
Through the challenge, I was reminded of humility, confidence and self-appreciation. Although there is an element of peer pressure to this challenge, like the neknominations, it’s up to the nominees to judge for themselves if they’re up to the challenge while remembering to keep modesty and responsibility in mind.
It’s also important to respect those that you nominate, as they may not be comfortable partaking.
For those who have read this article and are still confused about what a neknomination is, don’t worry, there are some still untouched by the social media trends such as computer science student Prem Bhatti who asks, “What’s a neknomination and what does it have to do with your neck?”
No doubt about it, we will see new challenges arise in the coming months. And maybe somebody will actually start neck-nominations, where you have to accessorize the perfect scarf on your neck. Who knows!