There is a misconception that if there is no picture or proof on social media that someone did something, then it never happened. This notion has led many to take fatal selfies in the most dangerous places.
There’s been a constant increase in deaths caused by selfies. A lot of these deaths could have been avoided if people properly considered the risks involved in getting those selfies. That is why we are taking time to curate the list of ten inappropriate places where taking a selfie could potentially lead to death, or like we call them, killfies.
1. In a fire: or in front of a fire (house or bush). Fires are volatile and can flare up at any point. If you are caught in front of a fire like that, you are only going to add to the number of casualties. Plus, it’s highly disrespectful to the person whose house is burning.
2. Train Tracks: Needless to say, don’t be dumb. We don’t deny that the picture would be awesome if you don’t die but you most likely will if the train catches up with you. 50% of selfie deaths over the course of 4 years were from India and most of them happened on train tracks.
3. Tip of any tall place: A large number of reported selfie deaths happened on top of tall buildings, mountains, hills, bridges, etc. Do yourself a favour and avoid taking selfies at any of these places. Lord knows you’ll need all your concentration on getting down safely.
4. At a funeral: Way too many people on the internet forgot to show the dead some respect. A funeral, particularly with the casket still present is the last place anybody should be taking a selfie.
5. In front of an accident: This boils down to a matter of respect and safety. Just like fires, ongoing accidents can be volatile, anything can set off a chain reaction and you’ll get hurt. But you’ll probably deserve it since you were already being disrespectful to those hurt by the accident.
6. On the pitch of any ongoing sport: This may seem fun but it’s a stupid idea. The speed at which pro-athletes move could cause them to body slam you, hit you on the head and ultimately hurt you.
7. Inside any large body of water: This includes beaches, seas, lagoons and ponds. If you are swimming in a large body of water, the conditions can change in split seconds. If you are taking selfies, you may miss these changes and drown.
8. Any place with wild animals: This already speaks for itself. You cannot control wild animals so you may not be able to control their reaction to your pictures.
9. While driving any vehicle: When you take selfies while driving, rowing or flying, you are endangering your life and others around you. Avoid this!
10. On the wings of a plane: This would also include taking selfies in open helicopters. There have been two reports of people dying this way so it’s best to just avoid this activity altogether.
Hopefully, you’ve learned a thing or two from this list and will avoid potentially dangerous and inappropriate selfies from now on. Tell a friend to tell another friend about this list and you might just be saving a life.