Internet Milking Craze: When Will The Stupidity Stop? [Op-Ed]

Commentary | The internet milking craze is taking the web by storm, even though most readers and even participants seem to agree that the craze is stupid and pointless.

Like the internet crazes that came before it, the internet milking craze is a simple premise that is carried out in public for the amusement of participants and those who watch their antics.

Here is the very simple premise: You take some milk, and you pour that milk over your head, drenching yourself in wasted calcium vitamin D. Take a photo, post it online, and you have joined the internet milking craze.

The craze started in the UK but has quickly spread after students all over the country staged milking photos.

I’m all for funny pranks when nobody gets hurt, but these days the internet has become a stomping ground for stupid frat boys and people with too much time on their hands to act like jackasses and ultimately be rewarded for their efforts with praise from other jackasses who have nothing better to do then watch other people acting like fools.

Sadly, mass media outlets have found the need to report on these trends, even when they call them a “pointless craze,” as was the case with the Daily Mail on November 26 when it highlighted this new craze.

While most people agree that the internet milking crazy is ridiculous, that has not stopped the “Milking Newcastle” YouTube video to receive well over 150,000 views in less than five days. Here is the video in question:

So what are participants left with? In many cases, participants have complained of sour milk in their homes and residents around the areas where the internet milking craze is happening have complained of rancid smells and discarded litter from milk cartons.

What confounds me is the number of people who fall prey to these pranks. Planking became a huge success and led to some injuries as participants attempted dangerous planking stunts for a few seconds of internet fame. At least in the case of planking, some pretty amazing stunts were achieved. Many pranks such as the milking craze, however, take no talent and no planning to complete. These pranks do nothing more but serve as another reminder that internet users by and large are bored, lazy, and willing to mindlessly watch what amounts to nothing.

While the internet was built on innovation and the hope of better communication in a connected world, we have managed to dumb down the world wide web to people pouring milk on their heads as thousands of people watch and then wait for the next stupid internet stunt to arrive. Technology may be improving for online communication; unfortunately, the quality of internet users has not.

Don’t believe me that these internet stunts are pointless? Check out Owling.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch people do stupid things on YouTube for the next few hours.