A splash of cold water is doing more than just making waves; it’s opening eyes to mental health awareness, sparking the attention of high schoolers all over the country. On March 31, the Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) club at the University of South Carolina (USC) launched the SpeakYourMind Ice Bucket Challenge, a social media movement created to start conversations and encourage more profound understanding of mental health for teens. Inspired by the viral 2014 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Ice Bucket Challenge, this new trend is not only catching national attention but also pushing participants to learn more about the cause behind the cold.
The new challenge followed after the old one, and included filming water being poured on your head and nominating three more friends to do the same. The USC MIND club members urged friends and family to participate, eventually leading to widespread participation across social media platforms nationwide. The MIND challenge even spread to people like Instagram influencers Embreigh Courtlyn and Paultooreal.
The MIND club’s original goal was to raise $25,000 for the Active Minds nonprofit, but they have far surpassed that, raising over $30,000 and climbing. Active Minds is the largest nonprofit organization for mental health in the United States.
Sophomore Jo Parasole participated in the ice bucket challenge but said she didn’t fully understand what the trend was for.
“When doing the USC SpeakYourMind challenge, I was aware the challenge was for the importance of mental health, but I wasn’t sure what the background was,” Parasole said.
Carolyn Miller, from the Redwood Wellness Center, said that the trend’s overall message should be highlighted more in order to effectively accomplish its goals. By going to the USC MIND’s official Instagram, one can learn more about the original purpose of the challenge; Miller said most people she knows who have participated in the trend don’t look into the true message behind it.
“Some people get nominated and then do it because they got nominated, without knowing that it’s in support of mental health,” Miller said.
Freshman Sophia Davis participated in the challenge as well. Davis said she is shocked at how widespread the challenge has become and feels that it has really made an impact in society.
“The SpeakYourMind ice bucket challenge helped me understand more about mental health because it helped me see how many people in our community and around the country are going through the same things with mental health,” Davis said, “Posting and reposting stories makes this feel more like a community on social media and helps raise awareness for a fundamental cause.”
Participating in the USC SpeakYourMind Ice Bucket Challenge is a fun way to raise mental health awareness. Miller wasn’t initially familiar with the trend, but after learning about its purpose, she was quickly impressed.
“I saw someone doing the challenge, they looked happy and smiley while doing [the trend]. Sometimes, a trend like this builds curiosity and leads people to learn more about the story behind it.” Miller said.
