Cancer Research UK and the power of Facebook

Social media gets a lot of grief sometimes. You read article after article about how much power social media has over our lives and how attached we have become to our smart phones, social media accounts and the internet in general. I am from the generation that has become reliant on the virtual world to get through the day. But there is a flip side and sometimes this power is used for good. 

On Tuesday, the #nomakeupselfie hashtag started trending on Facebook and it soon took off. Anyone in the UK or with friends in the UK will have probably noticed their Facebook newsfeed being flooded with make up free ladies posting their photographs. I think pretty much every single female friend I have on Facebook joined in. The amazing thing is that this wasn't a campaign started by Cancer Research UK. It was a campaign that grew organically, through the power of Facebook. 

In response Cancer Research UK set up a dedicated text line for people to easily make donations and in 48 hours, £2 million was raised. Of course there has been criticism of the campaign, saying that it took the focus away from the cause and brought it back to vanity and beauty. 

But how can raising such a large amount of money for such a good cause be criticised. Women, including myself stripped themselves bare, which is a big thing for most of us and did so in aid of a specific and worthy cause. It wasn't an opportunity to show off. It wasn't narcissistic. It was a chance for women to do something simple to show support for a good cause.

I lost two amazing women in my family to cancer and as such I know first hand the devastating impact the disease has at all stages. It is such a prevalent disease in todays society and if my small donation can be used to make a difference for future patients, well going bare faced on Facebook is a small gesture.