Sunday, March 6, 2016

Selfie Madness

What is a "Selfie"?
 
A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media.Selfies are often shared on social networking services such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They are usually flattering and made to appear casual. Most selfies are taken with a camera held at arm's length or pointed at a mirror, rather than by using a self-timer. A selfie stick may be used to widen the angle of view.


Why is it madness?

In April 2014, a man diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder recounted spending ten hours a day attempting to take the "right" selfie, attempting suicide after failing to produce what he perceived to be the perfect selfie.The same month brought several scholarly publications linking excessive selfie posting with body dysmorphic disorder.

Psychological studies conducted in 2015 among social media users suggest that there is a relationship between selfie-posting behaviors and narcissism. The link between number of selfies posted online and narcissism was stronger among men than women.

Injuries while taking photos

In 2015 it was reported that more people had been killed taking selfies that year than by shark attacks.Takers of selfie photographs have fallen to their deaths while losing their balance in a precarious position, and others have been wounded or killed while posing with handguns which have accidentally fired.[

Concerned about the increasing number of incidents in Russia where attempts to set up a daring selfie had led to injuries and deaths, the Russian Ministry of the Interior released a "Selfie Safety Guide" in 2015 that warned selfie enthusiasts about some common dangerous behaviors.

A 2015 study showed that 20% of young Britons had taken selfies while driving a car.The Italian chief of state police expressed concern over the same phenomenon in Italy on the occasion of the launch of a short film with the title "Selfie".

In 2016 the behavior of an Argentinian crowd seeking a selfie with a La Plata dolphin was held responsible for its death.

List of selfie-related injuries and deaths

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