Author: Harry Guinness / Source: How-To Geek
More and more people are dying taking selfies. Let’s look at how not to become a statistic far more embarrassing than the worst late night text to your ex.
A recent study found selfies were a factor in 259 deaths between October 2011 and November 2018. This number is almost certainly too low as it’s based only on reports of deaths in English language media; it doesn’t include near deaths, serious injuries, deaths reported in non-English media, or deaths where selfies weren’t mentioned even though they might have been a factor, such as car crashes.
In other words, lots and lots of people are dying or getting hurt taking selfies.The study found that most people died by drowning, falling, burning, or getting hit by a moving vehicle—though animal attacks, firearm deaths, and electrocution appear on the list, too. Surprising no one, more men died than women while engaging in “risky” selfie behavior.
Today, we’re not concerned with how to take a good selfie—we’ve covered that before—instead, we’re going to talk about how to do it safely. Because apparently, this is a conversation that needs to be had.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
More than anything, the leading cause of “selficide” is being unaware of your surroundings. Whether someone steps off a cliff by accident or capsizes their boat and drowns, it’s because they’re too focused on taking a selfie and not on where they’re standing and what’s going on around them.
I’m going to buck the judgemental tone of a lot of articles here. Standing close to the edge of a cliff or climbing some rocks can be an entirely risk-managed activity if you keep in mind where you are and what you’re doing. The key is to make sure you are secure before you even think about taking out your phone for that selfie. You should not wander backward aimlessly while looking at yourself in your screen, even if there isn’t a cliff behind you. A small trip can…
The post How to Take a Selfie Safely (Without Falling Off a Cliff or Being Hit by a Car) appeared first on FeedBox.
