What's the USC Ice Bucket Challenge? The viral video series, explained

Welcome to FTW Explains: A guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may have seen videos of people getting buckets of ice water dumped on their heads and had some deja vu, and also wondered what the heck is going on. That’s OK! We're here to help.

That's right, the viral ice bucket challenge is back, and this time, it's for a different cause. When I started seeing these videos go viral again, I wondered if it was 2014, when we wrote a whole bunch of posts about celebrities and athletes getting water dumped on them.

But, nope! It's 2025! And it's back. Let's break down the whole thing:

What is the Ice Bucket Challenge?

It's simple. You turn on your phone to shoot a video and someone takes a bucket filled with ice and water and dumps it on your head. You then challenge other people to do it, and they do the same, and it goes on and on. Also, you include a link for donations on your social media post.

Who started this version of the Ice Bucket Challenge?

Back then, it was to bring awareness to ALS. This time, per USA TODAY: "The #SpeakYourMIND ice bucket challenge was created by students at the University of South Carolina’s 'Mental Illness Needs Discussion' club, which first posted about the challenge on March 31."

How much money has been raised thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge?

Nearly $300,000 to Active Minds.

Is there any controversy with this Ice Bucket Challenge?

There have been discussions about how this is overshadowing the original cause, with the ALS Association posting this:

I wouldn't call it a controversy, but there's discussion online.