Ice Bucket Challenge, the biggest viral challenge in the world

2023-06-26 20:00:13

On Facebook alone, it is estimated that more than 17 million people recorded videos of the Ice Bucket Challenge.
Its main objective was to give visibility to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Celebrities such as Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Robert Downey Jr., Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake have participated in this viral challenge.

Many times it is thought that viral challenges through the Internet only work in a harmful way. Although sometimes it is like that, there are also others where they are really useful and can even save lives. In 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge and since then its impact has been of great dimensions. In fact, nine years away, he is considered the greatest life saver in the world.

For starters, the report Digital 2022 de We Are Social y Hootsuite mentions that 4.950 million people use the internet on a daily basis worldwide. To get an idea, the figure represents 62.5% of the total population of the planet. Furthermore, the trend continues to rise.

Now the Viral challenges are tests that are popularized through social networks. Broadly speaking, they consist of fulfilling a task and it must be captured with a camera so that it can later be shared through the Internet.

There are many different types, although one of the most popular is the Ice Bucket Challenge. Broadly speaking, it consists of each person throwing themselves a bucket of ice water. Although it seems absurd, there is actually a medical reason behind this initiative.

What is the origin of the Ice Bucket Challenge?

All at the initiative of Pete Frates and Patrick Quinnwho live with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Therefore, with this idea they tried to raise awareness so that other people would have an idea of ​​what it means to live with this condition. Although in his case, the sensation throughout the body is permanent because there is no cure for this disease.

For its part, the success of this idea lies not only in its medical origin but also in the fact that it really was a sensation on social networks. Among the celebrities who participated are Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Robert Downey Jr., Taylor Swift y Justin Timberlake. While only on Facebook it is estimated that more than 17 million people shared their own videos of this viral challenge.

For its part, the Ice Bucket Challenge was also helpful because different organizations made financial donations to support research on the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

But now the important thing is to know the consequences of this initiative and some of the results that have been obtained. In accordance with National Geographicthe first and most obvious thing is that it gave visibility to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis because before it was a disease that very few talked about.

Thanks to the donations obtained, medical research has been accelerated and during the last nine years five genes associated with this pathology have been identified.

In addition, with the money raised, a technology was created that allows people with this disease to communicate easily.

While on September 29, 2022 the The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the drug Relyvrio developed by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals Inc to treat patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In part this approval was thanks to the trend of Ice Bucket Challenge.

For all the aforementioned, this viral internet challenge is currently considered the greatest life saver in history. It also confirms that this type of initiatives that are disseminated through social networks are not always negative.

Also read:

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: First level hospitals can detect it

FDA approves new treatment spurred by trending Ice Bucket Challenge

Graphic of the day: Celebrities diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis