The trending hashtags of #icebucketchallenge, #alsicebucketchallenge, and #strikeoutals have led to a rising curiosity about the entire movement and ALS itself. A rage on social media networking sites and the internet, this challenge was a promotional strategy to create awareness of the disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). What started as a floating idea by Pete Frates a US baseball player and ALS patient himself, today has turned into a move that raised over 62 million US$ already.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease. It causes muscle spasticity causing motor skills to decline as well as progressive weakness due to muscle atrophy that is caused rapidly. It is also characterised by difficulty in basic functions such as speaking and breathing.
The Challenge
In the ice bucket challenge, a person is urged to dump an entire bucket of freezing cold water with ice and donate 10$ to the cause or forfeit and give a sum of 100$. As a pyramid effect works, the challenged can then nominate other friends to participate and spread the word. The amount is said to vary around the world with some people completely eliminating the 10$ donation on completing the challenge as well as some people contributing the entire amount as well.
The Ideology behind the Challenge
To counter the problem of lack of knowledge about this disease, Pete Frates and his family with the help of numerous others came up with the idea of this challenge. A number of afflicted people around the world have today come together to raise awareness, collect funds for research and treatments as well as support other people that are plagued by it.
Impact across the Globe
The global sensation gained momentum as a number of celebrities and known figures showed their support to this cause. Tom Cruise, Benedict Cumberbatch and the sizzling Nicole Kidman took part in this challenge with their videos trending almost immediately. Even Barack Obama, the President of the United States of America was challenged. Although he did not take part in the ice bucket drenching itself, he showed his support with some financial aid.
Charlie Sheen gave it his own unique spin by dumping a bucket load of dollars instead of iced water and motivating people to donate to the cause instead of just merely completing the challenge.
Criticisms and Disapproval
On the other side there are a number of people that have expressed their outrage against this movement. They do not believe in this self-congratulatory movement that often looses focus on being a charitable campaign and instead becomes a promotional gimmick for themselves. William Foxton went as far as describing the activity as “a middle-class wet-T-shirt contest for armchair clicktivists”
As during any popular movement that gains such high public attention, there are a number of people that support it with passion as well as those that criticise it. At the end of the day, the cause needs tremendous aid to eradicate it hopefully or provide assistance to those people that face it every day.
The trending hashtags of #icebucketchallenge, #alsicebucketchallenge, and #strikeoutals have led to a rising curiosity about the entire movement and ALS itself. A rage on social media networking sites and the internet, this challenge was a promotional strategy to create awareness of the disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). What started as a floating idea by Pete Frates a US baseball player and ALS patient himself, today has turned into a move that raised over 62 million US$ already.
