People’s desire for selfies is apparently out-weighing their good judgement more and more often. A new study from the India Institute of Medical Sciences reveals an average of 43 people have died while taking selfies since 2011, with drowning and falls being the biggest killers. The data shows men (73% of victims were male), and those ages 20 to 29 (about 50% of victims), account for about half of selfie fatalities. Lead study author Dr. Agam Bansal 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’ should be declared across many areas, especially near [bodies of water], mountain peaks, and over tall buildings, to decrease the incidence of selfie-related deaths.” The researchers analyzed newspaper clippings from English-speaking nations across the globe from between October 2011 and November 2017—in total they documented some 259 selfie-related deaths.
