People around the world risk their lives while trying to capture ‘selfies’ in the most extreme conditions
KECH, BALOCHISTAN: Capturing our experiences through photographs has turned into an incessant need with the widespread use of mobile phone cameras. People around the world even risk their lives while trying to capture ‘selfies’ in the most extreme conditions. This may include taking selfies underwater, or while at the edge of a high rise building, or on mountain peaks. The trend has caused 259 deaths from October 2011 to November 2017, and the number is feared to increase if authorities do not take action against such adventurers. According to an estimate, India has the highest rate of selfie-related deaths, and is followed by Russia, Pakistan and the US. In fact, three youngsters died in India recently, after getting hit by a train while taking selfies on the railway tracks.
This obsession with recording every single experience while risking one’s own life needs to stop. People need to be careful when taking pictures and make use of technology in a sensible manner.
Sahar A Karim
Published in The Express Tribune, May 2nd, 2019.
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