This past month a new trend–which is actually not so new–has been sweeping across social media feeds worldwide.
Across Instagram and Tiktok feeds, people have been pouring buckets of cold ice water on their heads to raise awareness about mental illness for the University of South Carolina’s “Speak Your Mind Challenge.”
The trend first appeared in 2014 as a movement to acknowledge the effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease which involves the spine and leaves those affected paralyzed.
In recent months, the trend was resurrected from the dank depths of the Internet with a new message. The new version, which came out of a club at the University of South Carolina, is focused on mental illness. It is referred to as the #SpeakYourMind challenge.
Like the ALS ice bucket challenge, the #SpeakYour Mind challenge involves teenagers, celebrities and adults alike dumping buckets of freezing cold water on their heads. They are then prompted to nominate their friends to join in on the fun and film their own ice bucket video.
Many BHS students have created their own takes on the challenge, including junior Morgan Jackson.
“Yes I did the challenge, I think the message is very well intentioned,” Jackson said. “[Although] It’s be stronger if people [emphasized] it more when completing the challenge.”
The challenge has spiraled from a fun activity to spread mental health support to a widespread internet trend.
Initially designed to acknowledge and support those with mental health issues, the trend has taken on a life of its own as people are now making increasingly outrageous “water” bucket challenge videos.
“I believe it was initially about the cause [ the USC program],” Jackson said. “But now [people are doing it] for the fun of it without the message.”
Feeds all across Instagram and Tiktok are filled with gallons of water being dumped, smaller-scale challenges with bowls filled with ice, others with cranes and industrial equipment filled with water and of people falling off decks and cars with buckets of water.
Not everyone is engaged in the challenge.
“I wasn’t nominated for the challenge,” said one student, who wished to remain anonymous. “I have no clue what the message is about, no one really talks about it.”
While the videos are still being posted and sent out into all corners of the internet, some, such as senior Maurice Kaplan, feel the message has been lost.
“I feel like it is really for some people not even about the mental health awareness,” he said.” The main purpose is more for the fun and excitement of the challenge.”
Although the message may have been diminished to a mere Internet trend, hopefully some will remember the cause of spreading joy and awareness for the mental health awareness club at the University of South Carolina.
