
They may seem harmless, but selfies were responsible for more deaths than shark attacks so far this year.
You are much more likely to witness a person taking a selfie than having a close run-in with a deadly shark, but a recent report has found that it doesn’t mean that they are totally safe. According to a report from the Guardian, a new death toll released earlier this week has shown that selfies were responsible for more deaths than sharks so far this year.
To date, 12 people have lost their lives while taking a selfie, or a snapshot of your face, typically in front of some monument or landmark, this year. The startling figure was brought to light after a 66-year-old Japanese man tumbled to his death while taking a photo at the Taj Mahal in India.
So far this year, only eight people have lost their lives to shark attacks. The statistic probably has something to do with the fact that there are much more people with self-facing cameras than surfboards and wetsuits, but it still highlights the danger of not paying attention to your surroundings no matter where you are.
In light of the recent string of selfie deaths, many attractions and parks have banned selfie sticks or even shut down their operations to keep people from taking reckless photos of themselves. One brochure in Russia reads, “A cool selfie could cost you your life.”
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