In 2025, the Ice Bucket Challenge poured the spotlight on mental health awareness through the “SpeakYourMIND” campaign. Initiated by the Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) club at the University of South Carolina, this revival aimed to destigmatize mental health issues and support suicide prevention efforts. Participants followed the familiar format of pouring ice water on themselves, and sharing videos on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and nominating others to join or donate to the cause.
The challenge has been spreading all across the nation where students from a variety of grades nominate each other to do the challenge. Social media like Instagram are filled with stories of students pouring ice old water on themselves and nominating more friends to do the challenge as well. The challenge mainly started booming around the middle of April where a mass amount of people were participating in the “SpeakYourMind” campaign.
The campaign quickly gained traction, with notable figures such as Peyton Manning and Jenna Bush Hager participating, and raised over $340,000 for Active Minds, a nonprofit dedicated to mental health advocacy among youth and young adults. However, the trend faced criticism from some members of the ALS community, who expressed concerns that repurposing the original challenge might overshadow ongoing efforts to combat ALS, a disease that still lacks a cure.
Despite the controversy, the 2025 trend of the Ice Bucket Challenge highlighted the evolving landscape of social media activism and the potential for viral trends to address societal issues.
