So I suppose it was only a matter of time before the swarm hit and I too was nominated by someone to take the ice bucket challenge. I had to think on it quite a bit before I decided what I was going to do.
I ended up doing it, but I did it my own way, and my donation is going to a charity of my choice. So here's probably the only video of me that will ever make it on this blog.
(Couple thoughts on making this: I hate the way I look. I hate the way I sound. Not everything came out exactly how I wanted it to. But after practicing my little spiel 15 or 20 times, I was so relieved to have it all out in one go that I wasn't taking another video. I was so nervous for this, and I don't know why. I almost didn't go through with it. But, in the end, I thought it was more important to have my say and support a good cause in my own way, than it was to not share an unattractive video, or cave and do things the way everyone else was doing it.)
I did a lot of research prior to making this, and I couldn't talk about every single detail (let's face it, 2+ minutes is already pushing it for most people's attention spans), so, as per usual, I'm going to do that here.
Let's talk pros and cons.
The ice challenge has plenty of arguments on both sides. Are you surprised? How could a charity be bad? Well, let's talk about whether or not it is.
So it bothers me that people are doing this without knowing why, or without having thought past "charity is good, right?" And it bothers me that people are doing it for no other reason than to not seem like a bad person to others. Does a good cause make peer pressure ok? Isn't that just forcing others to adhere to our morals?
It just generally makes me a little uncomfortable, and I know several people that are getting involved out of a sense of obligation when that $10 or $100 makes a difference in the amount of groceries they can afford.
It's ok to say no! Not everyone can be a philanthropist.
And then there's the question of which charity is the most practical, which will have the most impact, save the most lives, use that money the most effectively. Is that a cold way to make our decisions? Is it better to just donate to whatever the current popular charity is?
My personal guess? Maybe some people will donate here and not to their usual charities. But I bet there are others who are donating in addition or who don't usually donate, so anything they give to anyone is extra.
The only way for us to know for sure is to see a comparison of every charity's income this year in comparison to previous years, and then compare that to ALS's huge jump. I find it unlikely that we'll ever know for sure.
This might be true in a number of videos. But there are a couple things to consider. A) Not everyone can afford to donate. B) Those videos do get the message across to others.
At one point I would have said B wasn't true. I didn't get any kind of useful message from the ice bucket videos. I didn't learn anything until I watched a video making fun of them. And if I hadn't educated myself after that, I probably would have just said, "Eh, no thanks" when I got nominated.
I'll reiterate what I've said before: the majority of these videos barely mention ALS, give no donation information, and don't mention the rules of the challenge (donate x if you do this or y if you do that). Like Will Oremus says, the charity part seems more like an afterthought.
So how in the hell are they working? I have no idea. But they are. $31.5 million dollars doesn't lie (wrote this on Wednesday, I'm sure the number's gone up since). So I'll take all my objections and shove it, since I obviously can't tell the difference between effective campaigning and slacktivism.
I've read a lot of articles at this point. Some countered the arguments against the challenge and called for people to participate AND donate to ALS. Others were more moderate, just suggesting action of any kind. I'd like to leave you with this:
What's your take on the challenge?
I ended up doing it, but I did it my own way, and my donation is going to a charity of my choice. So here's probably the only video of me that will ever make it on this blog.
(Couple thoughts on making this: I hate the way I look. I hate the way I sound. Not everything came out exactly how I wanted it to. But after practicing my little spiel 15 or 20 times, I was so relieved to have it all out in one go that I wasn't taking another video. I was so nervous for this, and I don't know why. I almost didn't go through with it. But, in the end, I thought it was more important to have my say and support a good cause in my own way, than it was to not share an unattractive video, or cave and do things the way everyone else was doing it.)
I did a lot of research prior to making this, and I couldn't talk about every single detail (let's face it, 2+ minutes is already pushing it for most people's attention spans), so, as per usual, I'm going to do that here.
Let's talk pros and cons.
The ice challenge has plenty of arguments on both sides. Are you surprised? How could a charity be bad? Well, let's talk about whether or not it is.
Ice Bucket Challenge Pros
1. People are Learning About ALS
Some people. Certainly not everyone. But ALS is a worthy cause (as are most of them), and they're finally getting some recognition, awareness, and financial support. Maybe this campaign will even have a lasting effect and some donors will stick around when the ice bucket challenge is over. (Sorry to be cynical, but my guess is no. We will remain more informed about ALS than we were, however.)2. Reaching a New Pool of Donors
This is the first viral social media campaign I've experienced that's gotten a large proportion of my friends involved. I think by going through social media and making a meme out of it, they've reached people who may have just never thought to get involved with charity before. ALS may not have started the trend, but they were smart enough to jump on it. They made it cool. And that was important.3. New Possibilities
Affecting a relatively small part of the population compared to other diseases, ALS typically receives far less funding. In the wake of the ice challenge, they'll be able to take a deeper look at potential cures, increasing lifespan of those afflicted, and providing better assistance to families affected by the disease.Ice Bucket Challenge Cons
1. Peer Pressure and Mindless Action
This is the thing I hate most about the challenge. The majority of people participating seem to put little to no thought in their participation. That gray matter in our skulls? Why aren't we using that? I don't think going along with or going against the majority is inherently bad. I think doing either for the sheer sake of "fitting in" or "standing out" is bad.So it bothers me that people are doing this without knowing why, or without having thought past "charity is good, right?" And it bothers me that people are doing it for no other reason than to not seem like a bad person to others. Does a good cause make peer pressure ok? Isn't that just forcing others to adhere to our morals?
It just generally makes me a little uncomfortable, and I know several people that are getting involved out of a sense of obligation when that $10 or $100 makes a difference in the amount of groceries they can afford.
It's ok to say no! Not everyone can be a philanthropist.
2. Donations are Finite; Extra ALS Donations Means Less to Other Charities
This one I thought was intriguing. Will people really donate here, decide their good work is done, and ignore their usual charity? William MacAskill thinks so. It's hard to weigh charities against each other. It's incredibly difficult to make what seems like a callous decision to choose Cancer vs ALS vs a hundred other deadly diseases. Who should we help save?And then there's the question of which charity is the most practical, which will have the most impact, save the most lives, use that money the most effectively. Is that a cold way to make our decisions? Is it better to just donate to whatever the current popular charity is?
My personal guess? Maybe some people will donate here and not to their usual charities. But I bet there are others who are donating in addition or who don't usually donate, so anything they give to anyone is extra.
The only way for us to know for sure is to see a comparison of every charity's income this year in comparison to previous years, and then compare that to ALS's huge jump. I find it unlikely that we'll ever know for sure.
3. Slacktivism
I just learned this term! This refers to those who are making these videos just to make them and not donating or providing any practical assistance. 10 seconds of discomfort = waves of approval from others and feel-goods about your own virtuous nature.This might be true in a number of videos. But there are a couple things to consider. A) Not everyone can afford to donate. B) Those videos do get the message across to others.
At one point I would have said B wasn't true. I didn't get any kind of useful message from the ice bucket videos. I didn't learn anything until I watched a video making fun of them. And if I hadn't educated myself after that, I probably would have just said, "Eh, no thanks" when I got nominated.
I'll reiterate what I've said before: the majority of these videos barely mention ALS, give no donation information, and don't mention the rules of the challenge (donate x if you do this or y if you do that). Like Will Oremus says, the charity part seems more like an afterthought.
So how in the hell are they working? I have no idea. But they are. $31.5 million dollars doesn't lie (wrote this on Wednesday, I'm sure the number's gone up since). So I'll take all my objections and shove it, since I obviously can't tell the difference between effective campaigning and slacktivism.
4. Stem Cell Research
Here's one I just learned. ALS uses embryonic stem cell research in their efforts to find effective treatment. This is a topic that a lot of people have strong opinions on and/or religious objections to, but relatively few seems to know about since jumping on the bandwagon.5. Wasting Water
This one is just silly. Really? Do you guys know how many buckets of water we use for water gun fights, sprinklers, and washing our cars? Plus the hundreds of other wasteful things I didn't think of. How about I spend 5 less minutes in the shower this week. Problem solved.I've read a lot of articles at this point. Some countered the arguments against the challenge and called for people to participate AND donate to ALS. Others were more moderate, just suggesting action of any kind. I'd like to leave you with this:
Everyone has to do what's right for them. Period. But how will you know what's right for you if you don't know why you're doing something? Think about your actions!
What's your take on the challenge?
