You’ve probably seen both the photos and the status’ flooding your news feed, both yesterday and even still this morning of the latest Facebook fad: the no make-up selfie. Women of Facebook are posting these ‘no make-up selfies’ and nominating their friends to do their own. The sefie’s have been posted in order, as the captions say, to raise ‘Cancer Awareness’, but the angry status’ are suggesting otherwise.
It’s not just status’ either, people have taken to Twitter and online forums to discuss the idea, and most often their dislike of it. But the thing all of those ranting have in common with all of those posting the selfies is the most important part: they’re discussing cancer charities.
In a subtle but beautiful move, everybody is talking about cancer. What those moaning seem to not realise is that there are two sides to raising for charities: raising money and raising awareness. The latter tends to help raise money too, but as well as that it often makes you aware of what they do as a charity.
Hopefully a percentage of those that are now as a result, discussing cancer charities, will venture to check out a website on symptoms, or maybe because it’s at the forefront of their mind the next time they see a charity pot they’ll pop in their change. Even if it’s only a few people they’ll still make a difference. (There are useful links at the bottom of this article).
Although it is unclear where this viral selfie campaign has started it is evident that it is not “JUST SILLY WOMEN SEEING WHO LOOKS THE BEST WITH NO MAKE UP” as the campaign has already raised so much awareness. Charities, like any brand, must aim to stay at the forefront of the public’s mind – and although Cancer Research UK claim that this was not started by them, they and Macmillan Cancer Support have both been mentioned as a result of the photos ‘clogging up’ your newsfeed.
Another argument against the campaign is the no make-up side of things with one Facebook user claiming that by nominating people to do their own selfie we are raising awareness ‘at the cost of making some girls feel self-conscious/inadequate’, but isn’t that the point? There are two sides to this too – first being that putting yourself in an uncomfortable position or one in which you feel self-conscious (whether or not that should be the case) is helping people to relate to those with cancer who may feel that way, but perhaps on a much higher level. The second side to this is: how would posting an ordinary selfie make a difference – we see them every day, this is different, it gets noticed and has made a difference.
On top of this the selfie is much more obvious than previous viral Facebook campaigns, such as the ambiguous status’ women have previously posted about where they put their handbag.
Those who have been moaning have justified their point in that those posting a selfie could be posting a link to a cancer based website, or donating a small amount and nominating someone else to do the same so in this article I am not just going to argue the selfie’s case, but present to you some useful links:
The Macmillan Website: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Home.aspx
The is so much information on this website, not just for cancer sufferers but for their friends, relatives, so people who wants to find out more about different cancers and their symptoms and also for people to find out how to get involved!
Sign Sophie’s Choice Petition: http://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/62385
This petition has been set-up to lower the age of cervical cancer screenings to 16 after a 19-year-old model died after an original misdiagnosis.
Beryl’s Angels – Fundraising Group: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beryls-Angels-Fundraising-Group/673164449388441
This is my own fundraising group where we’re aiming to raise £14,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and also to raise awareness of a great charity that has helped my family so much.
Here’s my own no make-up selfie – I nominate everyone who reads this article: