{"id":1765,"date":"2016-08-08T06:54:33","date_gmt":"2016-08-08T05:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/injury-prevention\/?p=1765"},"modified":"2016-08-08T06:54:33","modified_gmt":"2016-08-08T05:54:33","slug":"the-deadly-selfie-game-the-thrill-to-end-all-thrills-the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/injury-prevention\/2016\/08\/08\/the-deadly-selfie-game-the-thrill-to-end-all-thrills-the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"The deadly selfie game – the thrill to end all thrills | The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

[SB] This post by\u00a0Amanda du Preez<\/a>\u00a0(University of Pretoria<\/a>)\u00a0<\/em>originally appeared on The Conversation Africa<\/a> on May 18 2016, and is republished in its entirety under a Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives<\/a> licence.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

According to the popular press it was more likely in 2015<\/a> for a person to die while taking a selfie than to be killed by a shark \u2013 this is globally. This means that, officially, the deadly \u201cmonster\u201d shark from the \u201cJaws<\/a>\u201d movie franchise has become less frightening than capturing your own image on a smartphone \u2013 that is if the 12 reported<\/a> selfie deaths of 2015 are compared with the eight fatal shark attacks in the same year.<\/p>\n

These are selfies taken from the top of a skyscraper while dangling in mid-air, or while perched on the brink of an overhanging cliff just before the selfie-taker\u2019s foot slipped.<\/p>\n

The invention of the selfie stick \u2013 which Wikipedia helpfully explains<\/a> is \u201ca monopod used to take selfies by positioning a smartphone or digital camera beyond the normal range of the arm\u201d \u2013 has worsened the situation. Reports show that tourists in particular no longer look where they are going, but are transfixed by their images on their phones\u2019 screens. Many landmarks and tourist places have started to ban selfies<\/a> and especially selfie sticks to prevent untimely accidents and even deaths. But putting these safety measures in place does not stop adventurous souls continuing to push the boundaries of dangerous activities.<\/p>\n

The latest extreme craze exported from Russia is called \u201cskywalking<\/a>\u201d (Picture 1). It entails<\/a> \u201cstanding or walking atop very tall structures at dangerous heights, such as the rooftop of a skyscraper building or a bridge\u201d. As such these images are breathtaking and awesome. Provided the taker of the selfie does not slip, he or she may be rewarded with hundreds of \u201clikes<\/a>\u201d on social media. Takers of dangerous selfies are, after all, considered heroes who unflinchingly put themselves in harm\u2019s way to experience what should probably not be experienced.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Picture 1: Skywalker Alexander Remnev on top of a Moscow skyscraper (2013\/14).<\/span>
\nSkyscraper Dictionary<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But how can we determine what counts as \u201ca selfie death\u201d or \u201cdeath by selfie\u201d? There are at least three types of deadly selfies:<\/p>\n