Protect Your Selfie — The Dangers of Selfie Taking from Cliffs to Buildings to Idiocy Around the World
Everyone loves to take selfies, whether it’s with friends or at the beach. The first selfie originated in 1839 and was taken by, “Robert Cornelius, an amateur chemist and photography enthusiast, in Philadelphia,” according to ET Online in the article:
Yet there is a trend that is formulating all around the world; taking selfies on the edges of cliffs. These individuals stand so close to the last place their feet can stand, and end up falling to their deaths.
According to, BBC News, in their article:
“The quest for extreme selfies killed 259 people between 2011 and 2017.”
The most popular selfie instrument used by many — the selfie stick. Individuals place their phones on the stick so that it is easier to take the photos. Yet sometimes, the phones fall, and they fall along with them.
In July of 2018, “19-year-old Gavin Zimmerman fell to his death while taking selfies on a cliff in New South Wales, Australia.” He was an American tourist and a Mormon missionary from Utah. His short life was taken by a selfie.
Also in 2018, “Tomer Frankfurter died in California’s Yosemite National Park in September after falling 250 meters while trying to take a selfie.”
BBC News also found that, “Selfie-related deaths are most common in India, Russia, the United States and Pakistan and 72.5% of those reported are men.”
Many people believe that shark attacks may be more frequent during the years, but according to Jane Ridley, in her article:
“More people die taking selfies than in shark attacks.” She continue[d] to add that, “[In] the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care in India [, they] found that 259 people worldwide died in 137 selfie-related accidents between 2011 and 2017, compared to just 50 people killed by sharks.”
Ridley also brings to light the differences between women and males when it comes to taking dangerous selfies. She expresses that, “Testosterone-fueled men are more likely to take risks than women, with 61 percent of males accepting the challenge of a cliff-edge photo, compared to 38 percent of females.”
Not only are people falling off of cliffs, but many individuals, and even young kids, are falling off of buildings all because of a selfie. According to Metro News, in the article:
“[A fourteen year old girl] was pronounced dead in [a] hospital after she fell through a skylight from the roof of a 10-stor[y]block of flats in Madrid, Spain, [on March 7th 2020].
Metro News also adds that, according to local reports, “The girl was leaning on the skylight above an internal stairwell when it gave way.”
Although some people have tried to get the best selfie shot they could, some ended up getting into trouble when trying to take the perfect selfie.
According to Jen Chung in her article:
“[A] 21-year-old Tennessee resident whose selfie atop a Brooklyn Bridge cable brought shame upon New York’s Finest.”
His name is David Karnauch and he snapped a shot in lower Manhattan with the background in late June of 2015.
Chung adds that he was, “Arrested on [a] Sunday in Chattanooga.”
According to WRCB, a television station, they reported that the “NYPD issued a warrant for his arrest after a July photo on the Brooklyn Bridge. Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office picked him up on Sunday on that warrant.”
Karanauch had previously insisted that the bridge was asking for it. He said, “You could just get on a beam and it actually had handrails on the left and right side, and I just walked across the bridge and turned around to take a picture.”
Some places have even banned selfies due to shocking tourist behavior — dangerous selfie taking being one of them.
According to Sahana Iyer in her article:
“A study of news reports conducted in 2018 revealed that India was the number one country in selfie-related deaths. A disturbing incident occurred in 2015, when a Japanese tourist passed away while taking a selfie at the Taj Mahal. The visitor fell down the stairs of the Royal Gate and suffered multiple head injuries. Another case was of a 20-year-old who fell to his death from the top of raesi fort in Jammu and Kashmir while attempting to capture a selfie.”
Because of these occurrences, 16 significant vacation destinations in Mumbai were transformed into no-selfie zones. This included significant vacation destinations, for example, Girgaum Chowpatty, Bandra bandstand and even the city-popular Marine Drive promenade. Passings have been recorded at these regions, one being a young person’s demise by suffocating in the ocean while attempting to catch a photograph.
Iyer also adds, “Lake Tahoe in the United States of America has also banned selfies. Cute, cuddly-looking bears roam around the area, however, they are ferocious and will maul you when they think they sense threat. Foolhardy actions by many have led them to be victim to these attacks. Johannesburg Lion Park in South Africa follows the same principle to avoid any trouble with the lions.”
These selfie deaths are overlooked by many, they are rarely mentioned in the news but are just as important as car deaths and mass shootings. These selfie deaths need to be normalized in the media as more people have to be aware of the dangers that can come with risky behavior.
It all comes down to one question: Life or a selfie?
I choose life.
