Men are particularly affected by the selfie death
Worldwide, five times more people die taking selfies than from a shark attack. Around half of the fatalities come from India. Why?
Self-portraits are not a new phenomenon, but the way in which you present yourself has changed dramatically. Instead of a canvas, the smartphone is now the medium for narcissistic images. And they want to be shared with the world. There are more selfies on Instagram and the like than people on a Chinese beach. With so much competition, some photographers are taking ever greater risks to get the perfect shot. This ended in death in 259 cases between 2011 and 2017.
Young, male, Indian
These dramas have now been investigated by a team of Indian researchers in a study. They found that almost three quarters of all deaths involve men, although they generally take fewer selfies than women. However, they are often more willing to take risks when they do point the lens at themselves. Also surprising: a good half of the selfie deaths occurred in India. There are two theories for this. On the one hand, India is the country with the highest proportion of people under 30 - precisely the age group that takes the most selfies. On the other hand, group selfies are a trend in India. The people involved are less aware of their surroundings.
The most common cause of death is drowning, followed by fire and falls. Most fatal accidents involving firearms occur, surprise surprise, in the USA. The lax gun laws also have their price in this area.
In order to stop this fatal trend, so-called "no selfie zones" are being signposted at some tourist hotspots. For example, at 24 different locations along the Coast of Goa, where selfie accidents on cliffs and beaches have become more frequent. Hopefully it will help to make people realise that the perfect photo and virtual likes should not be at the top of their list of priorities. <p
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.