Live Strong Band: Cool to Wear or Cool to Care?

Live Strong Band Phenomenon

The live strong band -- It isn’t fancy, it isn’t expensive, yet it’s one of the hottest accessories for everyone, kids, teens, and adults. Why? Because it’s kickin’ to be caring. The live strong band, developed by Lance Armstrong in collaboration with Nike, supports cancer awareness and research, an issue which people are clamoring to support.

While some feel that the live strong band has become a meaningless phenomenon, just worn because it’s ‘in’ right now, if you take a look at the trends in recent years, there really seems to be a major move towards more awareness and caring for the human community in general, especially among young people.

Why Is the Live Strong Band Hip?

The live strong band itself is actually kind of geeky looking – it’s a hunk of imprinted yellow rubber, after all. Really, would people wear them if there weren’t a meaning behind them? Probably not. The ‘hip’ness of the live strong band comes from the fact that it supports a worthy cause – and almost everyone has been touched by cancer in some form or another. It’s simultaneously personal and global, it’s positive, and it’s powerful.

Rather, the live strong band phenomenon seems to illustrate a trend among young people that you don’t have to be ‘bad’ to be ‘good’ with the in crowd. Speaking your mind, caring, a sense of community and awareness – you’re not a ‘dork’ for believing in something, not ‘uncool’ for sporting a symbol of hope.

Encouraging Openness

With three young children, I’m personally glad to see a different kind of ‘peer pressure’ among young people. I don’t think anybody wears the live strong wristband without knowing what it means, so if a lot of kids are wearing them and it’s ‘cool,’ so what? It gives parents a great excuse to talk to their kids about terminal illness, personal beliefs, hope, and positive thinking. If you think about it, the message behind the live strong band is probably something a lot of kids and teens talk about with each other, too.

The live strong band phenomenon encourages openness and creates a kind of community among people wearing them. If you or someone you know has been touched by cancer, every time you see a live strong band, you know that someone is contributing to the cause.

Candy Bar or Live Strong Band?

The live strong band, at only a buck, is another reason why it’s so popular among young people. They can make a difference just by forfeiting a candy bar and buying a live strong band instead.

The live strong band is not the only one of it’s kind – the same kind of positive support is going towards other rubber wristbands as well – from stand (speak out against tobacco) bands to tsunami relief bands. The collective efforts of support for combating human problems by buying the live strong band and other rubber wristbands are powerful, and easy to do.

Is the live strong band more than a fashion fad? I think it so. I think it has a lot less to do with it being ‘cool’ to wear, and a lot more to do with it being cool to care.

More Awareness Bands, Bracelets, Ribbons, etc.

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