SELFISH TO THE DEATH:
More than 250 people have died while taking selfies since 2011
Thursday, October 04, 2018 12:41PM
Think twice before taking that next selfie. It could actually become deadly if you're not careful.
A new report says 259 people died while taking selfies in a 6-year period between 2011 and 2017.
Researchers in India came out with the numbers. Indian, Russia, the U.S. and Pakistan filled out the top four spots.
The leading cause was drowning, from people being hit by waves or falling out of boats while posing.
Other causes include getting hit by cars, falling from high places and getting attacked while posing with dangerous animals.
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Snapping the perfect selfie can be fun. But if it involves flying a plane or holding a loaded handgun or standing on slippery rocks near the top of a waterfall, you may want to think twice.
Some 259 people worldwide have died while taking selfies, according to a study
published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.
Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a group of
public medical colleges in New Delhi, scoured news reports on selfie
deaths that occurred from October 2011 to November 2017.
Teen accidentally kills self taking selfie 00:45
They
found that the most selfie deaths occurred in India, followed by
Russia, the US and Pakistan. Most of the victims were men (about 72%)
and under the age of 30.
India
accounted for more than half the total -- 159 reported selfie deaths
since 2011. Researchers attributed the high number to the country's
enormous population of people under 30, which is the world's largest.
Although
women generally take more selfies than men, researchers found that men
were more likely to take risks -- like standing at the edge of a cliff
-- to capture a dramatic shot. "It justifies the higher number of deaths
and incidents for men," the study said.
Drownings and fallings
Drowning
is the leading cause of selfie deaths, usually involving people being
washed away by waves on beaches or falling out of a boat.
The
second-leading cause is listed as "transport" -- people killed, for
example, while trying to snap a quick pic in front of a moving train.
Tied
for third are selfie deaths involving fires and falls from high places.
Eight people died while taking selfies with dangerous animals.
Unsurprisingly,
the US led in the number of selfie deaths involving a firearm -- people
accidentally shooting themselves while posing with guns.
How selfie-related deaths happen
The
study says the problem is almost certainly underreported. For example,
it notes that when a person decides to pose for a selfie while driving
and is then killed in a car crash, it's most often reported as just a
fatal traffic wreck. And there are several developing countries where
reports of selfie deaths may not make it into the local news.
Selfie deaths are on the rise, too. There were just three reported selfie deaths in 2011. By 2016 that number had shot up to 98.
"The
youth and tourists are frequently affected because of the desire of
'being cool,' posting photos on social (media) and getting rewards in
forms of likes and comments," the study says. "Selfies are themselves
not harmful, but the human behavior that accompanies selfies is
dangerous. Individuals need to be educated regarding certain risky
behaviors and risky places where selfies should not be taken."
'No selfie' zones
The
study's authors suggest that "no selfie zones" be established in
tourist areas, especially on mountain peaks, near bodies of water and on
top of tall buildings. India has more than a dozen of these zones,
including several in Mumbai.
Woman falls off bridge taking selfie 00:45
Police
there say they've pinpointed locations around the city where they want
to "restrain" people to prevent further casualties. The high-risk areas
are mostly along the city's oceanfront -- a popular destination for
young people armed with camera phones.
"This
is a new problem for us," police spokesman Dhananjay Kulkarni told CNN
in 2016. "We have identified spots in Mumbai. We want to restrain people
from going there so that mishaps don't happen."
After a spate of selfie-related fatalities in 2015, police in Russia put out a brochure urging people to take "safe selfies."
Authorities: This selfie cost pilot his life 01:00
"A cool selfie can cost you your life," reads the brochure, which police handed out to both students and the general public.
The
two-page guide contains infographics that resemble road signs, most of
which are based on actual incidents -- such as the case of a 21-year-old
woman who accidentally shot herself in the head and a teen who was
struck by a train after trying to take a photograph of herself on
railway tracks.
The brochure also warns against are taking selfies with animals, on rooftops and with exposed live wires.