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“The selfie deaths have become a major public health problem,” Agam Bansal, the study’s lead author, told The Washington Post.

Though the study found India to have the highest number of deaths of all countries, numerous reports of fatal selfie incidents have also come from Russia, the United States and Pakistan. Bansal noted that while the simple act of taking a selfie isn’t deadly, the hazard arises when people take risks while trying to get that perfect shot.

“If you’re just standing, simply taking it with a celebrity or something, that’s not harmful,” he said. “But if that selfie is accompanied with risky behavior then that’s what makes the selfies dangerous.”

“What worries me the most is that it is a preventable cause of death,” Bansal said. “Taking a toll on these many numbers just because you want a perfect selfie because you want a lot of likes, shares on Facebook, Twitter or other social media, I don’t think this is worth compromising a life for such a thing.”

Taking a toll on these many numbers just because you want a perfect selfie because you want a lot of likes, shares on Facebook, Twitter or other social media, I don't think this is worth compromising a life for such a thing

Bansal added he was also concerned about how many of the selfie-related fatalities involved young people. More than 85 per cent of the victims were between the ages of 10 and 30, Bansal said.

“They form the future of a nation,” he said. “They haven’t even realized what their goals are. They aren’t even sure what they want to do. They’re just beginners in their lives.”

While the number of deaths reported in the study may seem high, Bansal said there could be many more cases that just haven’t been documented due to issues with reporting.