Ice Bucket Challenge: Has vanity taken over a good cause?

[GrandpaJoe63]

I wasn't aware of how terrible a disease ALS was until the "ALS Ice Bucket Challege" started popping up over my news feed from artists that I admire. But I started noticing the "ALS" is slowly disappearing from the Ice Bucket Challenges and people are only doing it now for laughs and made it into something like the "planking" fad.

[Hannah]

I did my ice bucket challenge, though I donated to the actual charities rather than through the texting thing - as it works out that they only got a fraction of the money donated from each text.

[peteyt]

I'm not sure myself. I do agree that a lot of people taking part aren't aware of what it is they are doing it for or at least the original cause. Any publicity is obviously good for a charity though, and if they make some money, and have some people doing it donating, then it's a good sign. There will be someone who won't donate, but a few is better than none and as some people mentioned in this debate, a lot of people donating aren't even aware themselves of what they are donating to or importantly what their donation is going towards. After Kony, which I promoted originally myself stupidly, I recommend people do research if they are serious about donating.

I have had a nomination but haven't done it and probably won't. I told myself if I get nominated I will do it because I want to and not because I've been in a sense told I have to. At the end of the day if it's a cause I believe in, there is nothing stopping myself from donating without doing the challenge. Some people will frown but its the same ends just different methods. I'm also expecting incidents like with the Neknominate challenge - obviously there was drink involved in that put people put themselves at stupid risks at times, just to try and make a stupid video and probably get more likes than their friends. That's something we cannot escape in these challenges sadly and people will always try to push things too far and ruin things for others.