Think before you selfie…
Selfies have killed five times more people than shark attacks, a study in India has found.
Between October 2011 and November 2017, at least 259 people died taking selfies around the globe, compared to just 50 people killed by sharks in the same period, according to India’s Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.
Drowning, transport, and falls are the most common causes for deaths caused by selfies.
In terms of where selfie deaths occurred, more than half of them (159) were in India. The United States was third, with 14, just after Russia, with 16. India had the highest number of deaths partly because the country has a high number of people younger than 30, and because selfies in India are especially trendy.
The study concluded that ‘no selfie zones’ areas should be declared across tourist areas, especially places such as water bodies, mountain peaks, and over tall buildings to decrease the incidence of selfie-related deaths.
Last year, researchers at the US National Library of Medicine also recommended that ‘no selfie zones’ should be introduced at dangerous spots to reduce deaths.
