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Let me start off by saying that I think that the Ice Bucket Challenge is, in theory, a good idea. I'm sure it has raised a lot of money, and it certainly has raised awareness for ALS. However, I have also noticed that some people are using it for their "15 minutes of fame". Without donating a cent to ALS, some people are posting these "crazy" videos before passing it off to their friends, or someone they think it would be "funny" to dump the ice water on. As I have seen these videos pop up on social media, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that a lot of people who are doing it couldn't give a rats ass about ALS, but just want to post that video so they can rake in the "likes" and show everyone how awesome they are. This was further enhanced when someone nominated me and I didn't do it, not wanting to fall into this game. When I told someone this, they were shocked and said that if I didn't do it 24 hours after I was nominated, I would "have to donate money". Oookay. I said I would rather donate money than get ice water dumped on me when I was pretty sick. Couldn't believe the guy just said that.
It got me thinking about all of the rest of things that people do on social media, just for attention. I have now realized that those long posts on birthdays with pictures on social media that 20 people post per day? Almost all for attention. If these people wanted to, they could personally wish each other happy birthday or send a private message. But instead, for everyone else to see (and "like" of course), they post these things on social media as a sort of publicity stunt.
I don't know if I'm being cynical here. What are y'alls thoughts?
I think it's just like any other fad viral thing these days. Sure, there's a few people who actually get the message, but for the most part it's just a stupid way for stupid people to get attention. I don't donate to ALS , but I am a very charitable person who donates 20+ hours a week to inner-city teenagers and who has given thousands of dollars worth of stuff to those kids. I don't post stupid videos of myself wasting a resource that we're dangerously low on...I simply do my part to make the world a better place and don't give a hoot about the credit or the number of likes on Facebook.
Trying to weed through all the videos to get to the information I'm actually looking for is quite tiring. I don't get one or two a day. I've seen as many as 8 (possibly more) posted in one hour. So when I'm scrolling through a day's worth of posts, yeah, it's a pain in the a**.
This is why I don't get on FB much anymore. It's quickly becoming MySpace. Your news feed catapults you into sensory overload. Videos automatically play as you scroll by them, personal information gets used to make FB $$$, and too many people virtually screaming LIKE ME, LIKE ME, LOOK AT MY CAT, LOOK AT WHAT I'M EATING...
I should comment on every video my friends post, asking them what they know about ALS. "Michael J. Fox's disease", "I don't know", and "Didn't that cyclist have it?" are the responses I expect to hear.
I think it's just like any other fad viral thing these days. Sure, there's a few people who actually get the message, but for the most part it's just a stupid way for stupid people to get attention. I don't donate to ALS , but I am a very charitable person who donates 20+ hours a week to inner-city teenagers and who has given thousands of dollars worth of stuff to those kids. I don't post stupid videos of myself wasting a resource that we're dangerously low on...I simply do my part to make the world a better place and don't give a hoot about the credit or the number of likes on Facebook.
I love how many people here are coming onto a public forum to TELL US they don't need attention for the good deeds they do. ???
... Both celebrities and family/friends...NONE of these people would be interested in raising awareness for ALS and donating unless they got to make a funny video and post it on the internet for attention.
If you asked every single person who has participated if they had ever done anything to promote awareness or donate to ALS before the Ice Bucket challenge, I'd say 96% say "no."
So ... they learned something and now they DID donate to ALS. That was the entire point, in case you missed that.
As for your assertion that "NONE of these people would be interested in raising awareness for ALS and donating unless they got to make a funny video," that's just not true. First of all, thousands of people participated without ever making or posting a video.
Second, I've been touched and amazed at how many videos I've seen where the person getting dunked dedicated their action to someone they know who has ALS. That's especially true for the sports stars who were some of the early people to popularize this fad. An inordinate number of sufferers of ALS are men who were actively involved in sports at some period in their lives (e.g., Lou Gehrig). It took years of statistics collecting to determine that. But now, that realization has inspired new projects ongoing in which researchers are now investigating if or how ALS might be related to earlier head injuries. Which would be a breakthrough in devising some kind of treatment for a disease which is ultimately a death sentence. If it takes people (narcissistic people according to our OP) participating in a silly fad to get the money to examine the CAUSES of ALS further, then I say more power to narcissists.
without a doubt, an excellent campaign that IS raising millions and millions
I guess the point I was trying to make was, just kinda sad that it takes a gimmick like the Ice Bucket Challenge to get so many people on board for a worthy cause.
For all those who have been challenged and participated in the IBC, if those very same people would've just gotten an e-mail, asking to donate to ALS...without any fun challenge attached to it....i wonder how many of them participated....
Oh well. keep raising millions! **** you, ALS!
Charities have been attaching fun stunts to donations for many years. We have, and many, many cities now have the Polar Bear plunge where people go into the ocean in the middle of winter (here it's New Years Day) to raise money for charity...the only thing different with this stunt is that many more people are willing to dump icy water on their heads than to submerge themselves in it (although hundreds do) and that it's more prominent on social media and with celebs, because it's something that can be done just about anywhere by just about anyone.
I love how many people here are coming onto a public forum to TELL US they don't need attention for the good deeds they do. ???
No, we're on a public forum to express our opinions about some people who think that this stupid waste of water during a massive drought is anything but people of the "look-at-me" type trying to seek attention.
If I really wanted the attention for the good deeds I do, wouldn't I have posted links to the website of my nonprofit and pictures of myself putting on free baseball clinics for 150 inner-city teenagers? I'm posting anonymously, so hence I am in no way seeking attention.
But sure, please feel free to mock people without actually expressing any kind of intelligent opinion. Thanks for the valuable contribution to this discussion.
If I really wanted the attention for the good deeds I do, wouldn't I have posted links to the website of my nonprofit and pictures of myself putting on free baseball clinics for 150 inner-city teenagers? I'm posting anonymously, so hence I am in no way seeking attention.
Money quote: "I love how it’s about the person. It’s not even about the disease. ‘Hey check out my wacky response to ice cold water over my f***ing head’"
If I really wanted the attention for the good deeds I do, wouldn't I have posted links to the website of my nonprofit and pictures of myself putting on free baseball clinics for 150 inner-city teenagers? I'm posting anonymously, so hence I am in no way seeking attention.
Its just another outlet to let attention whores post it all over their social media pages and get their 15 minutes of fame.
I Wonder if these same people would participate in a 5-mile walk for the cause.
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