I didn't see a lot of people this week so if you were one of them and reading this, my bad.
This week, I'm going to play devil advocate and tell you why I'm not going to be taking part in the ALS challenge and will not be donating to the ALS association., despite being nominated.
I have watched and seen so many challenges from the ALS ice bucket challenge. The very first one I saw, was of Bill Gates about a week ago now and since then, I have watched the challenge grow. In the past week or so, I have seen dozens of ALS challenges been "nominated" and completed.
The bucket challenge has taken a life of its own. During its short life so far, it has without a doubt, raised the profile and awareness of the disease. Further it has secured the funding of millions of dollars for future research and treatment programs. The internet has once again shown its power to connect the world behind a single a goal like no other form of communication can.
But disappointingly, in taking a life of its own, like many things which finds its way onto the internet it has (perhaps inevitably) been constrewn and mutated into something resembling "nek nominate," a similar viral campaign which was around last year where people nominate friends to scull a jug of beer.
The ice bucket challenge is now nothing more but a "nek nominate" with a name of a charity attached to it. After the dozens of challenges that I watched, I did not hear once what ALS was. Before doing research on this disease for this post, I did not know how many people it effected, who it affected, is it contagious, are there cures or treatments, what was the life expectancy of those diagnosed with it, its symptoms or even what ALS stood for.
If the goal was to raise awareness of these facts than it has failed. Short of people remembering the three letter acronym, ALS, it has failed.
Half the problem is here. There are many who do the challenge because it is fun and entertaining for friends. I mean, why not? It gets the likes on facebook and doesn't cost all that much money. If there's a charity name attached to it then why the hell not.
I mean, when people are nominated they have 3 options right. Donate, do the challenge, or disappoint friends. And we don't want to donate money, or disappoint friends. (I'm assuming most people don't do the challenge and donate money)
There is something wrong with society when videos like this catches on and mutates to what it is today. People instead of donating, use the ALS name to do something silly, call attention to themselves and not be criticised for it.
I wrote a post a few months back now, about charity and how if we have a chance to donate we should, unless you know there is something more valueable you can do with your money. This is essentially a case in point.
Lets face it. Now, when all your friends have seen the ALS videos and have seen all the other challenges of people have completed awareness is not a problem. You sharing your a video of yourself dumping icy water on yourself and then go "well I've done the challenge, I don't need to donate now," then honestly, you're doing nothing good. Literally, nothing.
Awareness for ALS is now not a problem.
I mean, if you want to share a video of you dumping a ice water on top of yourself, then by all means, go for it but don't use the excuse of, "I'm doing it for charity."
If you donate money, then well done, kudos to you. Hey, if you need to post a video of yourself doing something stupid, because you donated 20 dollars then by all means, post away.
The other half of the problem is that obligation to donate money. Having been challenged now, I am disappointed that people only feel the need to donate, only when being asked to.
Firstly, I don't know anyone with ALS, I don't know anyone who knows anyone who has ALS. I honestly, don't have enough of a connection to ALS to care more than any of the other charity that I support. Why should I donate to ALS, when I think there are other causes, which I feel is more deserving of the money.
ALS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, affects almost than 2 in 100,000. It does not discriminate between race or ethnicity and can strike anyone. Those diagnosed with ALS have a life expectancy of 2 to 5 years due to the shut down of muscles and limbs. There is a drug called Riluzole which preliminary results have shown increases the survival rate of those afflicted with this disease.
Its not I don't care, its simply I don't care more about ALS than any number of the problems around the world.
For example, Oxfam, now reports that the number of hungry people is now nearly 1 billion. That's 1 in almost 7. When I posted in year 11 (2009) on the world food crisis, that number was 850 million.
I think that any money I donate would be better spent on Oxfam.
For the past two year, I have donated to Beyond Blue on behalf of my friends and family, because I know people who are affected by depression.
I care more about people who have depression, because it affects me more. If that makes me a bad person than so be it.
But all that is beside the point. Donating to charity should be done freely, not because it is trendy or because everyone else is.
It certainly shouldn't be because you get to pour icy cold water on yourself and not because your friend nominated you.
~TastyJacks~
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