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It's OK to read this story about the ice bucket challenge before Ferguson. Trust me: you can read about that next It's OK to read this story about the ice bucket challenge before Ferguson. Trust me: you can read about that next
(about 5 hours later)
I became aware of the ice bucket challenge, as I become aware of so many things, through snarky tweets. Over the last week, my Twitter feed has been consumed by the latest social media-dominating entry in a summer full of tragedies: the events in Ferguson, Missouri. But occasionally a fed-up post will surface: “Why is my Facebook feed full of ice bucket challenge videos?” “STOP TALKING ABOUT THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE.” “What the hell is an ice bucket challenge, anyway?”I became aware of the ice bucket challenge, as I become aware of so many things, through snarky tweets. Over the last week, my Twitter feed has been consumed by the latest social media-dominating entry in a summer full of tragedies: the events in Ferguson, Missouri. But occasionally a fed-up post will surface: “Why is my Facebook feed full of ice bucket challenge videos?” “STOP TALKING ABOUT THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE.” “What the hell is an ice bucket challenge, anyway?”
An ice bucket challenge, my fellow news junkie who has carefully unhooked your social media feeds from celebrity shenanigans, is a fundraising concept created by the ALS Association of America, which raises money and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). The challenge asks participants – mostly celebs – to do one of two things: donate money to ALS research, or pour a bucket of ice water over their heads. You can, in other words, choose to help or choose to suffer for not helping. As Valleywag sneered when the Facebook founder took Door No2, “Mark Zuckerberg would rather drench himself than give $100 to charity.”An ice bucket challenge, my fellow news junkie who has carefully unhooked your social media feeds from celebrity shenanigans, is a fundraising concept created by the ALS Association of America, which raises money and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). The challenge asks participants – mostly celebs – to do one of two things: donate money to ALS research, or pour a bucket of ice water over their heads. You can, in other words, choose to help or choose to suffer for not helping. As Valleywag sneered when the Facebook founder took Door No2, “Mark Zuckerberg would rather drench himself than give $100 to charity.”
Like many people who use social media as a replacement for 24-hour news channels, I haven’t been willing to look away from Ferguson for going on 10 days now. But even more than that, I haven’t been willing to be seen looking away. Every time I make a frivolous social media post about books or dogs or dick jokes, I feel a twinge: is it OK yet to care about something else, too? I feel like I should say sorry when I look elsewhere. I’ve seen people say it, or insinuate that their followers or friends – or, more likely, their social media enemies – should feel guilty for turning their heads.Like many people who use social media as a replacement for 24-hour news channels, I haven’t been willing to look away from Ferguson for going on 10 days now. But even more than that, I haven’t been willing to be seen looking away. Every time I make a frivolous social media post about books or dogs or dick jokes, I feel a twinge: is it OK yet to care about something else, too? I feel like I should say sorry when I look elsewhere. I’ve seen people say it, or insinuate that their followers or friends – or, more likely, their social media enemies – should feel guilty for turning their heads.
Especially if they’re turning it to look at Mark Zuckerberg (or Weird Al, or Taylor Swift, or whomever). Newshounds on Twitter have been using the ice bucket challenge as a shorthand for “thing people are paying attention to that isn’t the current crisis” – and therefore casting it as frivolous, a celebrity stunt, something to be shouted down. This is the unspoken expectation when something big happens: either you’re talking about it, preferably talking about what you’re doing about it, or you’re inwardly or outwardly apologizing – or, worse, chastising others – for talking about something else. To do otherwise is to invite accusations, from yourself or others, that your empathy and priorities have gone to hell.Especially if they’re turning it to look at Mark Zuckerberg (or Weird Al, or Taylor Swift, or whomever). Newshounds on Twitter have been using the ice bucket challenge as a shorthand for “thing people are paying attention to that isn’t the current crisis” – and therefore casting it as frivolous, a celebrity stunt, something to be shouted down. This is the unspoken expectation when something big happens: either you’re talking about it, preferably talking about what you’re doing about it, or you’re inwardly or outwardly apologizing – or, worse, chastising others – for talking about something else. To do otherwise is to invite accusations, from yourself or others, that your empathy and priorities have gone to hell.
But policing reactions this way means we’re doing a version of the ice bucket challenge ourselves: Donate the whole of your focus now, or absolve yourself through an act of performative self-flagellation.But policing reactions this way means we’re doing a version of the ice bucket challenge ourselves: Donate the whole of your focus now, or absolve yourself through an act of performative self-flagellation.
That’s nonsense. Paying attention sporadically – or even not at all – is still more useful than chiding ourselves or others for looking away. We all look away all the time. When we fixate on Ferguson, we relegate Iraq and Gaza and Syria and Ukraine to our peripheral vision – or if, instead, we stay focused on those, or on an Ebola outbreak or whatever emergency may come next, we may not have the bandwidth left for police atrocities in middle America. News of Robin Williams’s death surfaced as the Ferguson story was unfolding, and many of us looked away from police thuggery momentarily to talk about depression and self-harm. When we scoff at the ice bucket challenge because we’re busy with Ferguson, we look away from ALS and the havoc it wreaks on sufferers and their families. These are choices we get to make – maybe choices we must make, since it’s psychologically difficult enough to steep yourself in one tragedy, and trying to focus on all of them simultaneously is a recipe for a fevered brain that no amount of ice will fix.That’s nonsense. Paying attention sporadically – or even not at all – is still more useful than chiding ourselves or others for looking away. We all look away all the time. When we fixate on Ferguson, we relegate Iraq and Gaza and Syria and Ukraine to our peripheral vision – or if, instead, we stay focused on those, or on an Ebola outbreak or whatever emergency may come next, we may not have the bandwidth left for police atrocities in middle America. News of Robin Williams’s death surfaced as the Ferguson story was unfolding, and many of us looked away from police thuggery momentarily to talk about depression and self-harm. When we scoff at the ice bucket challenge because we’re busy with Ferguson, we look away from ALS and the havoc it wreaks on sufferers and their families. These are choices we get to make – maybe choices we must make, since it’s psychologically difficult enough to steep yourself in one tragedy, and trying to focus on all of them simultaneously is a recipe for a fevered brain that no amount of ice will fix.
There are big things to worry about this week, but that’s not why the ice bucket challenge is ridiculous. The way it’s playing out, it’s not even that ridiculous at all – most participants who go for the ice bucket are choosing to donate, too, and it’s been a successful fundraising campaign as well as a consciousness-raising one. But in its original construction, the challenge offers two choices: do something, or go soak your head. This dichotomy between action and guilt is false. It’s false when it comes to donating money to an ALS cure, and it’s false when it comes to donating effort and attention to violations of human rights. The amount you contribute, however small, will inch your cause closer to its goal, but your tiny penance is worthless. If you assuage your guilt by performing self-recrimination for an audience, you might as well be Mark Zuckerberg freezing his skull off to save a hundred bucks. The Ferguson protestors do not have time to stand still and watch you douse yourself with ice in a bid for absolution. There are big things to worry about this week, but that’s not why the ice bucket challenge is ridiculous. The way it’s playing out, it’s not even that ridiculous at all – most participants who go for the ice bucket are choosing to donate, too, and it’s been a successful fundraising campaign as well as a consciousness-raising one. But in its original construction, the challenge offers two choices: do something, or go soak your head. This dichotomy between action and guilt is false. It’s false when it comes to donating money to an ALS cure, and it’s false when it comes to donating effort and attention to violations of human rights. The amount you contribute, however small, will inch your cause closer to its goal, but your tiny penance is worthless. If you assuage your guilt by performing self-recrimination for an audience, you might as well be Mark Zuckerberg freezing his skull off to save a hundred bucks. The Ferguson protesters do not have time to stand still and watch you douse yourself with ice in a bid for absolution.
Nor is anyone served when people “contribute” by scolding others for losing focus – with one potential exception. It appears a whole crop of celebrities are willing to be briefly cold and wet in penance for not funding ALS research. We have a chance to put the 30 seconds of discomfort they’re willing to endure to good use. Who wouldn’t pay to dump ice water on Mark Zuckerberg? I’d do it, and I’d earmark my hundred bucks for the food bank in Ferguson.Nor is anyone served when people “contribute” by scolding others for losing focus – with one potential exception. It appears a whole crop of celebrities are willing to be briefly cold and wet in penance for not funding ALS research. We have a chance to put the 30 seconds of discomfort they’re willing to endure to good use. Who wouldn’t pay to dump ice water on Mark Zuckerberg? I’d do it, and I’d earmark my hundred bucks for the food bank in Ferguson.