Millions of selfies are uploaded to social media sites every day, making it difficult to attract to any newly uploaded picture. Social media enthusiasts therefore may go to considerable lengths to get the perfect selfie, with some individuals even risking their lives. A study from India published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care now suggests that the number of selfie-related deaths is higher than previously thought. The study also provides some interesting insights into who is most likely to die when taking a selfie (Bansal et al., 2018).

The research team headed by Agam Bansal of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Madhya Pradesh performed a systematic search of newspaper articles on selfie-related deaths. They found that between October 2011 and November 2017, 259 people died while taking a selfie. There was a clear trend toward an increasing number of selfie deaths over the last years. While only three people died while taking a selfie in 2011, 50 died in 2015, and 93 in 2017.

Who dies while taking a selfie?

People who die while taking are selfie are mostly young, with an average age of about 23. About 36 percent of selfie deaths occurred in people between 10 and 19 years old, and 50 percent in people between 20 and 29. Only 14 percent of selfie deaths occurred in people older than 30 years of age. Interestingly, men are much more likely to die while taking a selfie than women, with 72.5 percent of selfie deaths occurring in males and only 27.5 percent in females. This difference was due to a higher probability of risk taking in males. The researchers analyzed all selfie-related deaths and classified the behavior that the involved people showed before as risky (e. . walking to a slippery edge of a cliff in order to take a selfie) or non-risky (e.g. getting hit by a sea wave on a day when the sea is calm and then drowning while trying to make a selfie).

The result?

In females, 31 deaths were preceded by non-risky behavior and 27 by risky behavior. In males, the amount of risk taking was much higher: 38 deaths were preceded by non-risky behavior and 115 by risky behavior. Thus, four times as many males as females die due to their own risky behavior while taking a selfie. This is in line with other studies showing that more behavior in males might explain some gender differences in death causes, e.g. related to traffic-accidents. (See my previous post on why men die earlier than women.)

In which countries do most people die while taking a selfie?

The research team found out that most people die while taking a selfie in India (159), followed by Russia (16) and the United States (14). Here, most of the selfie-related deaths occurred due to accidentally using a firearm while taking a selfie. But in general, selfie deaths are a worldwide phenomenon that occurs on every continent.

What are the most common causes?

There is a wide range of reasons why people die while taking a selfie. The leading cause of death while taking a selfie was drowning (70 people), followed by accidents involving transport vehicles such as cars or trains (51 people). Several people also died due to falling (48 people), burning (48 people), electrocution (16 people), misuse of firearms (11 people), and accidents involving dangerous animals (8 people). Other, non-specified reasons were the cause of death in 7 cases.

What can be done?

In some cities, e.g. Mumbai, the police created no-selfie zones at sites that are particularly dangerous in order to prevent further deaths. Since most people that died while taking a selfie were under 30, it is important to create awareness in adolescents that it might be risky taking selfies with dangerous animals, at the edge of a slippery cliff, or with a loaded firearm. But in general, using common sense, and avoiding any unnecessary risks when taking a selfie are good starting points. No picture is worth your life.

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