Selfies are now more lethal than shark attacks. A study published in the Journal of Travel Medicine uncovered 379 selfie-related deaths over the previous 13 years.
Among these, 140 tourists tragically snapped their final photo. Meanwhile, only 90 fatal encounters during the same time frame involved sharks, primarily unprovoked.
The pursuit of the perfect selfie for social media has led tourists into a realm of extreme risks, resulting in tragic incidents, including fatal falls from cliffs, accidents with cars and trains, dangerous wildlife encounters, and unforeseen drownings.
Of the 379 selfie-related deaths worldwide between 2008 and 2021, 37.2% were travellers, as opposed to locals. Falls from height made up 49.9% of all deaths, followed by transport-related (28.4%) and drownings (15.3%).
The average age of selfie victims during this time period was 24.4 years old. Women were more likely to be fatally injured in falls from heights and animal encounters, while more men were killed in transport-related risks.
Countries with the highest number of selfie deaths include:
- India (26.4%),
- the United States (10.3%),
- Russia (8.7%).
