Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; thumbnail design by Jaslie Fang.
It’s 2014 all over again–but with a twist. The USC Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge is trending fast, inspired by the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge but with a mission all its own. This simple challenge has been a fun and effective way for people to connect over a shared goal. Most importantly, the challenge’s objective is to spread suicide and mental health awareness, raise funds for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), and break down stigmas revolving around mental health.
This new trend became viral not too long ago, and already, millions of people around the world have posted videos of themselves participating in the challenge, pouring ice-cold water over their heads and nominating friends to join the challenge as well. The number of videos increases every day, along with the awareness of the importance of mental health and ALS.
Mental health plays a significant role in our lives, and it is important to acknowledge the difficulties and hardships that one may suffer due to their mental health. Many people struggling with their mental health have trouble telling their story and asking for help when they need it. A freshman at the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical School, Firdaous Elimami, expressed how she felt that “the world is healing” and people are slowly opening their eyes and creating trends that have more meaning. “Our hearts are growing,” she continued, “our minds are growing as we become more aware of the things others are going through.”
By participating in the USC Speak Your Mind Challenge, people are encouraging those who are struggling to voice their minds. In the process, they create a space where people can express their feelings, typically regarding mental health. In addition, the act of having ice-cold water dumped on one’s body is meant to stimulate a similar bodily sensation of muscle weakness and loss that those with ALS experience, “…it symbolizes how people with ALS who are often very tense and weak…it also portrays how someone struggling with mental health might feel like they’re underwater or having a bucket of ice poured on their heads…”
Once people film their videos, they use the hashtags “#icebucketchallenge” or “#mentalhealthmatters”, or tag USC’s social media account, and over time, attention and funds build up and are provided to both USC and the ALS association for research and patient care. The overall challenge is meant to inspire people to feel confident to convey their feelings and struggles with mental health, and to allow people to get an understanding of what those with ALS go through.
As the USC Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge continues to expand across social media platforms, the message behind it spreads as well. Many students within Malden express both the power of the experience, as well as appreciating the awareness. Students, such as Lillyanna Keogh, remind us that “the greatest thing about hitting rock bottom is that you can only move up from there,” and that “things seriously do get better.” Others, like a freshman at Malden Catholic, Leanna Mai, highly encourage those who struggle silently to “reach out,” because “it can open doors for many resources” to receive “the help you deserve.” Freshman, Beatel Tesfaye highlighted that “your feelings are valid,” and went on to reassure that “there’s always someone in life who cares about you.”
Freshman David Ruprecht explained how having someone to talk to is “like a weight getting lifted off your chest,” and how each individual’s voice in the spreading of mental health awareness has meaning. This challenge is more than a viral trend, it’s an empowering movement, a movement being driven by community, compassion, and the rising recognition of how mental health matters.
