The ‘ultimate selfie’ has claimed up to 480 lives – yet the craze shows no signs of ending

To the list of the world’s most dangerous activities, it seems we must add a very 21st–century pursuit: selfie-taking.

The number of people who have lost their lives while trying to get that perfect shot has spiked sharply in recent years. For a time, Wikipedia kept a running total, estimating 379 people have died in selfie-related accidents between 2008 and 2021, with hundreds more sustaining serious injuries.

Since then, other sources suggest the toll had risen to as many as 480 fatalities by the end of 2024. By way of comparison, far more people die from taking selfies than from shark attacks, which on average account for 5-6 deaths per year globally.

Naturally, many of those incidents occur in the world’s most picturesque spots, or those made famous by popular movies or TV shows. But the authorities in these places are starting to take action. The small Japanese city of Otaru has announced that it is hiring security guards to manage the swarms of selfie-taking tourists who are so intent on getting the best shot that they don’t see danger coming.

Visitors are drawn not just by the idyllic view of the nearby port and ocean, but by their devotion to the 2015 movie Cities in Love; the city’s sloping street, Funami-za, is showcased in the film.

However, that single-minded quest can have dire consequences: earlier this month a Chinese woman died after she walked onto the railway tracks and was struck by the train. Her husband told local police that his wife was so intent on photographing the iconic location that she didn’t see the train coming.

The problem is not confined to Japan, however. A read of Wikipedia’s page listing worldwide selfie-related deaths and injuries is startling – everything from accidental shootings to drownings and even death by hand grenade.

The allure of social media recognition

Steve Cole, policy director at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), reports that, according to a recent study, falls from height are the most common injury mechanism in selfie-related incidents, followed by drowning. “This trend of taking selfies in hazardous locations, such as on the edge of cliffs or during extreme weather conditions, is a concerning behaviour.”

He adds: “The allure of social media recognition often drives individuals to take these unnecessary risks, underestimating the potential dangers involved.” RoSPA urges the public to respect safety warnings and barriers, be mindful of their environment, and use common sense.

Survivalist Ray Mears told The Times recently that he is now forced to instruct his clients not to step backwards off a cliff while taking a selfie, “which was never the case in the past”. He’s not alone. In 2023 Oldham Mountain Rescue instructed hikers not to take selfies on the striking but precarious Trinnacle, a highly dramatic and extremely photogenic exposed rock formation, near Saddleworth in the Peak District, while the Environment Agency has advised against taking so-called “storm selfies” during extreme weather events.

Similar pleas have come from the UK Coastguard, which issued a warning in 2017 against selfie-taking on the eroding cliffs at Seaford Head in East Sussex. Maritime Commander Mark Rodway commented: “People take great risks to get a dramatic photograph of themselves on a dangerous cliff edge. No selfie is worth risking your life for.”

Yet risk it people do. In 2015 the Russian government was forced to launch a “Safe Selfie” campaign after a spate of incidents, including a 21-year-old woman shooting herself in the head while taking a selfie with a pistol, and two young Russian soldiers in the Urals pulling the pin from a live hand grenade. Tragically the men both died, but, eerily, a picture of their rash stunt remained on their phone. The government leaflet warned: “A cool selfie could cost you your life.”

However, for many social media influencers, cool selfie-taking is big business, and getting a daring shot is one sure way to stand out in a crowded market. After all, everyone now snaps pictures with their smartphones.

Travel writer Siân Anna Lewis, who runs the blog The Girl Outdoors and frequently posts striking shots on her Instagram @sianannalewis, says: “It is much more competitive now – it’s harder to get started and create a social media platform than it was 10 years ago. You need to have an angle. People are clicking through images quickly so you only have a couple of seconds to be eye-catching.”

That certainly worked for daredevil Russian teenager Alexander Remnev, whose stomach-churning selfies from atop the towering skyscrapers in Dubai – including the 1,350-foot Princess Tower – became a sensation in 2014.

‘It’s a kind of bravado or machismo’

Mark Griffiths, Distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addictions at Nottingham Trent University, ran a study on “selfitis” (or selfie addiction) in 2018. He believes that the psychology of those who take risks for selfies is actually similar to risk-takers through the ages. “It’s not a new phenomenon – we’ve had storm-chasers for years. It’s a kind of bravado or machismo. The difference is now you can record it.”

However, he notes that taking and sharing selfies is also tied to self-esteem, especially in adolescents and young people. “You get a feeling of validation when your selfie gets hundreds of likes. That motivates people to compete with one another for attention and look for something which gives them the edge.

“Risk-taking often translates into higher numbers of likes, especially if you’re doing something extreme that no one else has done. You want to provoke a reaction. It’s constant one-upmanship.”

But such a contest can have deadly consequences. In 2015 an English hiker in the Brecon Beacons was struck by lightning – it’s suspected that his extended metal selfie stick actually acted as a lightning rod. Meanwhile in Pamplona, David Gonzalez Lopez was gored to death while trying to take a selfie in the midst of the Running of the Bulls. Taking selfies during the event is now illegal.

The following year, Chinese businessman Jia Lijun tried to take a selfie with a female walrus at the Xixiakou Wildlife Park in Rongcheng city: he was a big fan of the walrus, and had been excitedly sending videos and photos to his friends. However, the 1.5-ton walrus grabbed Lijun and dragged him into the pool. It was apparently playful behaviour, but the walrus drowned both Lijun and a zookeeper who tried to help.

Another animal attack took place in 2024. Prahlad Gujjar scaled a 12-foot fence at the Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park in southern India and tried to take a selfie with a lion. He was mauled to death.

Trains also feature heavily in these selfie cautionary tales. Eighteen-year-old Romanian Anna Ursu was trying to take “the ultimate selfie” in 2015 when she posed on top of a train with one leg lifted. However, her leg touched a live wire and she was electrocuted with 27,000 volts. Ursu burst into flames and suffered burns on more than half her body; she was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Another fatal selfie trend is scaling vertiginous buildings.

In 2017 Chinese “rooftopper” Wu Yongning, who often posted dramatic images and videos of himself dangling from skyscrapers (without safety equipment), died after falling from a 62-story building in Changsha.

A fairytale visit turned into a horror story for Czech gymnast Natalie Stichova in 2024. While taking a selfie at Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, the impressive edifice that reportedly inspired Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, Stichova slipped from the cliff edge and plunged 260 feet. The gymnast had previously posted pictures of herself doing handstands on mountaintops.

Last year also saw the tragic death of Indian travel influencer Aanvi Kamdar, who was filming social media content at the top of the Kumbhe Waterfall when she slipped and fell down the 300-foot gorge.

There is some backlash to risk-taking images, perhaps as a result of this spate of fatalities. American travel influencer couple Kody Workman and Kelly Castille, who post on the Instagram account @positravelty, faced criticism for a photo taken in Ubud, Bali, in which they kiss while Workman holds Castille over the edge of an infinity pool – with a terrifying sheer drop beneath her. “That’s why so many people die taking a selfie!” fumed one commenter.

But the picture still got plenty of attention: it’s as aspirational as it is alarming. It seems plenty of people would rather risk death for a perfect image than risk being ignored.

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