Next year, the world wide web will have been available to the public for thirty years. Facebook just recently celebrated its 15th anniversary and is one of the most widely used social media platforms. YouTube is the only other platform that roughly matches the social media giant’s reach. Other platforms, such as Instagram and Snapchat, are more popular among younger users. One thing that most of these platforms have in common is that they are frequently places where users post “selfies” which are photos taken of themselves with their smartphone cameras. With the increased popularity of this kind of social media, there has also been an increased incidence in people dying in an effort to get that perfect shot, the New York Post reports.
A recent survey revealed that 41% of people have risked their safety to capture a selfie. A third of the people who responded stated that they have visited places just to capture a photo. 4% revealed that they have willingly endangered another person’s safety for the capture.
The poll asked 999 women and 1,024 men to find out what they were willing to do to get that perfect snapshot for Instagram.
As it turns out, men are more willing to take significantly more risks than women. 61% of men have attempted a photo on the edge of a cliff, compared to just 38% of women.
A more concerning statistic is that 11% of people have injured themselves while attempting to take a selfie. People reported accidents that stem from distraction, including falling down hills, falling off bikes, and getting knocked down by waves at the beach.
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Another study found that between 2011 and 2017, there were 259 people killed worldwide in 137 accidents that were related to taking a selfie. In comparison, in that same period, just 50 people were killed by sharks. The number of incidents is also on the rise. In 2011, there were only three fatalities. By 2017, that number had risen to 93.
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