Different challenges have been circulating Instagram since the Ice Bucket Challenge resurfaced in late March of 2025 by the University of South Carolina Mental Illness Needs Discussion Club (or commonly referred to as USC Mind). 

The USC #SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge began March 31 and was popularized by Instagram nominations throughout April. USC Mind’s goal in creating the challenge was to spread awareness for mental health and promote speaking comfortably about the subject. 

The Ice Bucket Challenge is complete when the nominee records themselves listing their nominations for the challenge on video and then has another person dump a bucket of water on their head. The person will then tag their nominations and USC Mind in an Instagram story or reel.  

FHS Sophomore Ella Holt was one of the nominees for the challenge in April and decided to join. 

“Yeah, I participated,” Holt said. “I thought it was a cool way to come together and spread awareness.”  

Not all nominees participated, though. Students like sophomore David Mott stayed outside of completing the challenge for different reasons. 

“I didn’t participate because I didn’t have time to do them [the challenges],” Mott said. “I don’t have an ice maker to make the ice for the ice bucket challenge.” 

 While USC may have kicked off the popularity of nomination challenges, many more were to follow. Challenges such as “favorite Bible verse”, “little you”, and “fit pics” circulated Instagram. 

The little you challenge involves the nominee posting a picture of themselves as a little kid then nominating more people to do the same. Fit pics also has the poster nominate others, but the media portion requires pictures of a couple of the user’s different outfits. 

Lyla Cook, a sophomore at FHS participated in the “little you” and “favorite Bible verse” challenges. 

“I think these challenges are a really fun idea, and it’s a cool way to see how we’re all connected,” Cook said. “It was crazy to see how this [ice bucket] challenge made its way through people around the school until it got to my friends and then me.” 

While Cook and Mott are weary to start a challenge, Holt believes if she has a “good idea” she’ll use it to spread awareness about a topic important to her.