It is a Spanish epidemiological study published in the

Journal of Travel Medicine

which affirms it: selfies can kill.

Researchers have tried to quantify this surprising phenomenon.

To do this, they relied on the deaths reported by the press in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Italian.

They came to the conclusion that 379 people have died taking their own photo since 2008. However, this figure remains an estimate because it could turn out to be higher.

The average age of the victims is very young, being 24.3 years old.

It should also be noted that the number of annual victims increases over time.

Since January 2021, 31 deaths of this type have already been recorded worldwide.

2020, on the other hand, represented a lull with confinement.

Tourists are the most affected

Most of the victims are tourists. In fact, travelers represent a third of people who have lost their lives while taking a selfie. And the study goes even further: it determined the countries in which these fatal accidents are the most numerous. On the podium, we find India (100 deaths since 2008), the United States (39) and Russia (33). Cristina Juesas, one of the co-signers of the study, notably justifies this by saying: “India's figures are partly explained by the fact that many people in the country take selfies while taking their bodies out. through the window or the train door ”.

In India, it is at the Taj Mahal and in the Doodhpathri valley that the most accidents take place.

For the United States, it is Niagara Falls and the Glen Canyon, and for Russia, the Ural Mountains represent the most dangerous spot.

Causes of death

The study identifies several main causes of death when taking a selfie.

Most of these tragedies are due to an accidental fall (216 deaths out of 379).

The others involve transport accidents, drownings, gunfire and electrocution, or attacks by wild animals.

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  • Smartphone

  • Society

  • Accident

  • Miscellaneous

  • Selfie

  • High-Tech