How do we make a lasting impact?martin_vmorris

The day has come. After almost a week of  the trend picking up pace, I have finally been nominated to post a selfie of my bare face in the name of Cancer Research UK. Undoubtedly the #nomakeupselfie trend has been a success in monetary terms, raising £2 million worth of donations within just 48 hours, with the total continuing to grow.

I am not against the trend per se. Like Charlotte Chorley, I agree that if we’re going to jump onto the bandwagon of any social media trend, raising money for a charity like Cancer Research UK is not a bad wagon to jump on. But, at risk of being called a spoilsport, is it just me or does the #nomakeupselfie trend sit uncomfortably with you? I can answer that easily: no, it’s not just me. As I scroll through my newsfeed on Facebook, I see posts of my female friends proudly wearing no make-up alongside corresponding comments in which some describe being "dubious" or "sceptical" of this trend. So what is it that we are so sceptical about?

I think the issue is twofold. Firstly, the #nomakeupselfie trend is a somewhat disheartening signal of what we as a society value. The trend has come under attack from critics who describe the act of taking a selfie as narcissistic. Telling your friends that "you look beautiful - even with no makeup on" distracts from the real aim, of raising awareness of cancer, by focusing on looks alone. Given that the campaign is now accompanied by a £3 donation, rather than just a selfie, I think this is an unfair criticism. Rather, I think the problem lies in the description of the act of wearing no makeup as ‘brave’, as I have frequently seen. These kinds of comments are especially ironic given that individuals are raising money for the truly brave: those fighting cancer.

Is not wearing make-up really that big of a deal? Though I won’t pretend that I go with the bare-faced look particularly often  (I’ll admit, I enjoy wearing make-up), when I don’t wear make-up, I would never describe it as something worth commending nor would I want others to. Furthermore, by linking not wearing makeup with cancer awareness, the campaign has become very much a women’s issue: yes, I have seen my female friends encourage guys to wear makeup and donate, but the trend overall fails to be as undiscriminating as cancer itself is.

Secondly, there is the issue of the campaign itself; it is a trend and importantly, one led by the people, not Cancer Research UK. This means that the impetus and the success of the campaign lies with the many millions social media users and unfortunately, our track record isn’t great. Though the fads of #neknominate, Flappy Bird and the latest addiction, 2048, are no way near on par with the great work of Cancer Research UK, these examples illustrate how quickly we tend to pick up, run with and drop trends. For this reason, I find it difficult to agree with Charlotte Chorley, in her article in support of the #nomakeupselfie campaign, that "this mode of activism is better than none". Though Cancer Research UK have received a welcome spike in donations, not only is this temporary, but there is also the risk that awareness has increased only for a short time. A key aspect of the work of the charity is to inform people about cancer so that we can be in a position to support our friends and family if the cause arises.

While recent events are out of the hands of Cancer Research UK, this aspect is wholly lacking from the #nomakeupselfie trend. The most inventive and useful posts have been those where people have posted diagrams of how to check your breasts or information on how to look for the signs of lung cancer. It would be such a shame for a trend with such momentum and potential to be lost like other trends of old.

Maybe I have taken this trend a little too seriously. "What’s wrong with taking a selfie if it raises money for a worthy cause?" is an easy response to my comments. Of course every little helps; most of us are not in the position to run a marathon or climb Kilimanjaro for charity, so doing what is within our means is important. But it wouldn’t hurt to think a bit more thoughtfully about charitable giving and how we can make a truly long lasting impact.