Viral generosity trends of early 2010s have declined, Vox reports
7 reported
According to a Vox article, the early 2010s saw a surge in viral giving trends like the ice bucket challenge and #GivingTuesday, driven by social media and billionaire pledges such as the Giving Pledge. The article states that as social media algorithms changed in the mid-2010s, the internet became more fractured, making earnest, apolitical generosity less common and even passé. It reports that fewer Americans have chosen to give to charity each year for much of the past decade, and most billionaires appear to be giving away a diminishing share of their fortunes. The Giving Pledge, launched in 2010 by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett, has lost momentum and faced criticism from figures like Peter Thiel. The article attributes this shift to an attention crisis exacerbated by rising inequality and a decline in generosity as a collective cultural value. It notes that some observers, such as GivingTuesday co-founder Asha Curran and Charity: Water founder Scott Harrison, have observed a loss of the collaborative spirit that once fueled these campaigns.
What’s reported
The ice bucket challenge in 2014 raised money for ALS research and involved participants like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Justin Bieber, David Lynch, and Donald Trump.
The Giving Pledge, launched in 2010 by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett, aimed to convince billionaires to donate at least half their fortunes to charity.
At its peak, about one in seven American billionaires signed the Giving Pledge, including Musk, Zuckerberg, and many tech billionaires.
#GivingTuesday, co-founded by Asha Curran in 2012, raised at least $10 million for charity in its first 24 hours, a 53 percent spike from the prior year.
For much of the past decade, fewer Americans have chosen to give to charity each year, and most billionaires appear to be giving away a diminishing share of their fortunes.
The Giving Pledge has lost steam and come under attack from techno-cynics like Peter Thiel.
Scott Harrison, founder of Charity: Water, said he has struggled to fundraise in recent years, noting that giving is "not on trend" anymore.
Key figures
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and co-launcher of the Giving Pledge
Melinda French Gates, co-launcher of the Giving Pledge
Warren Buffett, co-launcher of the Giving Pledge
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook co-founder and participant in ice bucket challenge
Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and participant in ice bucket challenge
Asha Curran, co-founder of GivingTuesday
Scott Harrison, founder of Charity: Water
Aaron Dorfman, CEO of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Peter Thiel, techno-cynic who criticized the Giving Pledge
Sources: vox.com
