Social media is often known for its frivolity — its downright silliness and ability to waste mountains of precious time. But sometimes it can serve a good cause, even while still being nutty.
As with the #IceBucketChallenge.
For anyone who hasn’t yet heard about this wacky viral craze, it entails Facebook friends challenging each other either to donate $100 to The ALS Association — which raises cash to research Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease — or to film themselves getting doused in ice water and post the video on social media.
Tons of celebrities, from Justin Timberlake to Jimmy Fallon to Chris Christie, have taken part.
More important, the game’s helped raise more money — $9.5 million through Friday — than other ALS Association efforts. It’s also heightened public awareness about the disease: Online mentions of ALS have reportedly increased more than 10-fold.
“We have never seen anything like this in the history of the disease,” says Barbara Newhouse, president and CEO of The ALS Association, on the group’s Web site.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the level of compassion, generosity and sense of humor that people are exhibiting.”
Compare this to some of the nonsense and trivial uses for which social media is famous — like the guy who raised $55,000 on Kickstarter to make potato salad. (He now says he’ll use it to help the homeless.)
Gehrig, benched by the disease, gave his famous farewell speech just over 75 years ago. He’d be surprised by the new craze.
He wouldn’t be the only one.