ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

PsychicTaco115

I've Been Having These Weird Dreams Lately...
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Mar 17, 2012
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If you aren't up to speed with social media, there's a thing about dunking cold water over your head for awareness of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease

My question is simple: What do you think of this?

I think it's really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really dumb

Seriously, I think it's less about the awareness and more of doing something silly for social media followers

Fucking Twitter...


Maybe it's just me being cynical of a somewhat helpful cause... or maybe I JUST DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT SHIT

*flips table*
 

Treeinthewoods

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May 14, 2010
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Seeing how the ALS group they are supporting is seeing a massive increase in donations I would say they are a good thing and you are being cynical.
 

tippy2k2

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Mar 15, 2008
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I agree

It's incredibly stupid and seems to be just a silly form of slacktivism (not actually DOING anything but championing a cause on social media to make yourself feel like you did something).

...however, this one actually seems to have worked outside of people dumping ice water on themselves. The amount of money going to ALS groups has shot up dramatically.

According the first website I clicked on [http://www.alsa.org/news/archive/als-ice-bucket-challenge.html], donations last year were in the low one million mark. Donations this summer are in the FOUR million mark.

I'm not sure why this slacktivist activity has actually worked but for whatever reason, this one held on and didn't let go.
 

StriderShinryu

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Dec 8, 2009
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I like the charity and I find the ice water dumping to be a sort of entertaining and harmless way of spreading awareness. What I don't like is the challenge aspect where you're basically publicly shaming someone into either doing the challenge or donating money instead. Sure you don't technically have to do either but then you come across as a bit of a dick.
 

Barbas

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Oct 28, 2013
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Redlin5 said:
Those lunatic douchebags! At least owling only involved looking stupid. Did you see when that guy slipped in milk and rolled under a train?!

Then again, he did get several thousand followers in a few hours' time...

Hey, you seen my gun?
 

Lilani

Sometimes known as CaitieLou
May 27, 2009
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I'm tempted to be cynical about viral/Facebook borne charity/awareness things, because there's a part of me that feels like these people are just doing things for online brownie points. I really cannot stand those things that go around during breast cancer awareness month that are like "Post your bra size without any other context" or "describe everything in your purse" or things like that. It's just as obnoxious as anything else that goes around Facebook like a virus, but with the added bonus of everybody who does it thinking they've done something good.

But the part that keeps me generally shut up as I bear through it is knowing that these things DO lead to more donations for these organizations, at least for a time. So I keep trying to tell myself for every asshole who thinks enough likes and shares will solve the world's problems, there's somebody who will actually be inspired to donate to Susan G Comen or ALS research or whatever.
 

Something Amyss

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Dec 3, 2008
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All I can say is it's working and nobody appears to be getting hurt.

Given those parameters, I have trouble complaining.
 

mysecondlife

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Feb 24, 2011
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Conan O'brien generally made it fun. http://teamcoco.com/video/conan-ice-bucket-challenge

Yes its kind of silly but there's been a lot of negativity going on lately and I don't think it should be directed to this one.
 

Boris Goodenough

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Zachary Amaranth said:
All I can say is it's working and nobody appears to be getting hurt.

Given those parameters, I have trouble complaining.
You just have to try harder then, I believe in you!
 

AwesomeHatMan

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Jul 24, 2012
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It's funny, in New Zealand we have our own Ice Challenge which was started completely separately (I think we happened before this one but I'm not sure). Our one is for Cancer rather than ALS. It started with a woman raising money for her child's cancer treatment and now people just donate to either the Cancer Society or CanTeen.

Don't know the rules for the ALS version but in NZ EVERYONE that does it is meant to pay $10 and people that don't are meant to pay $100. So it can't really be considered slacktivism seeing as everyone that posts it is supposed to be donating $10... As in everyone nominated has to donate money or else they're a dick. Not cool to force your mates to pay money to charity or be a dick? Yeah that sucks... but you know what else sucks? Having cancer.
 

M0rp43vs

Most Refined Escapist
Jul 4, 2008
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For now it seems to be working. Despite the "Internet tough guy" act some are putting on, appparently donations are shooting up.
Come back in a month or two when it goes the way of Movember and "no make up selfies", where everyone does it because everyone else is doing it, quietly removing the charity aspect over time. Then we can complain.
 

Nouw

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Mar 18, 2009
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Almost did it myself but I missed the boat by a week. It was neat while it lasted and a fad it may be, a respectable sum was raised according to the local news and charity management. I don't really get the cynicism to be honest, and this is coming from the guy with a True Detective avatar.
 

mmiki

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Mar 1, 2013
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PsychicTaco115 said:
Seriously, I think it's less about the awareness and more of doing something silly for social media followers
Most people simply don't care. I really don't - if I did, I'd go and help out in some way, but ALS doesn't affect me or anyone I know, so I don't. While I can be empathic towards people suffering from this, I cannot personally empathize or care about it enough to spend my time and effort towards helping these people. I can say that "oh but maybe I should" but past experiences suggest that in practice it is not going to amount to much.

I don't think the fact that I haven't donated to ALS research makes me a bad person, it makes me like 99% of humanity. That's why I appreciate people dumping a lot of cold water on their head, because it makes the other 1% possible.

You could consider this a character flaw or a moral failing. But the reality that we have to accept is that with so many things trying to attract our attention, time, and resources, there are going to be priorities, and on that list of priorities you and your loved ones are very high on the list and people with ALS you never met are pretty damn low.

So, now that we've established that it's really hard to get people to care about ALS, I have to do a reverse of the OP and question the motive of people who question the motives.

You don't have to answer this question in a public forum, but look at really hard in the mirror, and ask yourself:
Why are you concerned *why* someone is doing something for charity? Are you really concerned about their motives, or are you feeling pangs of guilt, like I am, that you are not doing more, and throwing up a cynical defense?

I mean, even if we assume that most of the people who are doing this are in it just for the attention (which I don't believe is the case), who cares if it's working? From what moral basis are we operating here that places requirements on people whose actions will overall result in something good that their motives need to be completely unselfish?

In a perfect world inhabited with perfect people instead of buying (metaphorical) ice cream we'd all donate that money to charity, but we don't live in that world and there's no point pretending that we ever will. So if someone dumping an ice cold bucket of water on their head gets someone else to skip an ice cream once in a while and donate that money to charity, that's pretty good, right?
 

Smooth Operator

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Oct 5, 2010
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Well I'll agree the ice water thing is a completely retarded publicity stunt then going onto peer pressure, but if someone supports a charitable event by all means make your reasonable argument for it heard.
Sadly your average Joe will far sooner get on-board with clown shows then reason, which is why this monkey business makes it a more successful campaign.
 

El Luck

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tippy2k2 said:
I agree

It's incredibly stupid and seems to be just a silly form of slacktivism (not actually DOING anything but championing a cause on social media to make yourself feel like you did something).

...however, this one actually seems to have worked outside of people dumping ice water on themselves. The amount of money going to ALS groups has shot up dramatically.

According the first website I clicked on [http://www.alsa.org/news/archive/als-ice-bucket-challenge.html], donations last year were in the low one million mark. Donations this summer are in the FOUR million mark.

I'm not sure why this slacktivist activity has actually worked but for whatever reason, this one held on and didn't let go.
I thought the whole Slacktivist thing was the idea of wanting to change something without doing anything other than saying you want said something to change?

On topic: I don't quite understand what the relation between ALS and the Ice bucket challenge is, like is an ice bath used as a form of treatment or something or it? and it does seem a bit silly to me, but its upped awareness but more importantly increased donations quite a bit so I can't really knock it.
 

Varrdy

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Feb 25, 2010
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People doing daft stuff to raise money and/or awareness for a good cause is nothing new and just because it is now happening on Facebook and Twitter isn't a bad thing.
 

frobalt

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Jan 2, 2012
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tippy2k2 said:
I agree

It's incredibly stupid and seems to be just a silly form of slacktivism (not actually DOING anything but championing a cause on social media to make yourself feel like you did something).

...however, this one actually seems to have worked outside of people dumping ice water on themselves. The amount of money going to ALS groups has shot up dramatically.

According the first website I clicked on [http://www.alsa.org/news/archive/als-ice-bucket-challenge.html], donations last year were in the low one million mark. Donations this summer are in the FOUR million mark.

I'm not sure why this slacktivist activity has actually worked but for whatever reason, this one held on and didn't let go.
The thing about slacktivism is, it raises awareness on issues that people probably wouldn't have been aware about earlier.

More people being aware means that there are more potential donators.

What makes slactivism so powerful is that it is free for the charities in question as they don't have to pay for people to spread things whereas they'd have to pay for adverts and however else they usually raise awareness.
 

mmiki

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Mar 1, 2013
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frobalt said:
The thing about slacktivism is, it raises awareness on issues that people probably wouldn't have been aware about earlier.

More people being aware means that there are more potential donators.
I dunno, I associate "slacktivism" with hashtag campaigns and the like. Maybe the difference is that this is effective and you cannot argue with the results?