This is the end, right? Once the CEO of Facebook, the site on which this whole viral trend has propagated, completes the challenge – it’s over, correct? Is that how it works?
Wednesday night, Mark Zuckerberg posted a video of himself dumping a bucket of ice water on his head. Just like countless Ice Bucket Challenge participants before him, he quickly realized that “it was really cold”.
As you can see, Zuckerberg called on Bill Gates, Sheryl Sandberg and Reed Hastings to dump buckets of ice water on their heads in order to avoid giving to charity.
Ok, that’s not exactly fair. I’m sure Mark Zuckerberg will gladly give $100 to an ALS cause – even though he completed the challenge. But let’s remember that the entire premise of the Ice Bucket Challenge involves dumping ice water on yourself to avoid donating to charity.
The challenge involves people getting doused with buckets of ice water on video, posting that video to social media, then nominating others to do the same, all in an effort to raise ALS awareness. Those who refuse to take the challenge are asked to make a donation to the ALS charity of their choice.
That’s from the official ALS Association website.
But is it raising awareness? I guess – it’s all over Facebook. You know that. You’ve seen it, I’m sure. Celebrities are doing it – it’s on the Today show. This dumping ice water on your head thing has made it big.
“Raising Awareness” is one of those phrases that sounds awesome, but when you think about it, isn’t really as awesome as “giving money to a cause”. And let’s be honest, any time you do something, put it on video, and post it to Facebook – the stunt isn’t entirely about “raising awareness” anyway. Well, unless we’re talking about raising awareness of the fact that you’re a really good person.
Sorry. I know I’m being a cold, ice water-soaked blanket.
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