Taking a selfie can be fatal?

Abby Bordewick • November 5, 2015

You’re at a big party and you want a picture with all your friends in it, what do you do? Grab your selfie stick. As of 2014, the selfie stick was in the top 25 best inventions in the United States. With a long handheld monopod that you hook your smartphone up to, this invention has taken the selfie to another level. In 2014, 100,000 selfie sticks were sold in the month of December alone. Clearly, this item has been sweeping off the shelves!

Although this device takes great photos from a different perspective, it can also cause injury or even lead to death. A 66 year old Japanese tourist was attempting to use a selfie stick at the Taj Mahal ;while taking the selfie, he fell down the stairs and died. According to a new study, in 2015 there have been more deaths from taking a selfie then there has been from shark attacks. Since October 15th, the death toll for selfie- related deaths has now totaled twelve, whereas fatal shark attacks has totaled eight.

This may seem like a joke, but sadly people are more focused on taking the perfect picture than being aware of their surroundings. Recently, a 21 year old man departed this life when he climbed on top of a stationary train to take a selfie with some close friends. Unfortunately for this young man, he accidently touched a high voltage power cable running overhead. A local said that this man was killed instantly by the 35,000 volt charge. Although the selfie stick itself doesn’t cause deaths, the desire to take the ultimate photo using this device can put you in a fatal situation.

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As a result of so many deaths due to selfie sticks, some places around the world have decided to prohibit selfie sticks. Many venues in Australia and the United Kingdom have banned selfie sticks at amusement parks and some museums, in the United States some musical festivals restrict the use of selfie sticks. Disney world, Disneyland, and Six Flags also restrict having selfie sticks in the parks. Selfie sticks have always been banned on rides, but there have been a number of instances where people on rides have decided to pull out their selfie stick for one special picture. Next time you decide to take a selfie with your friends or family, make sure to do a double take to insure that you are safe while posing for your picture.

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About the Contributor

Abby Bordewick, Sports Writer

Senior, Abby Bordewick, is a fourth year journalist. Her favorite thing about being a part of Etched in Stone is getting to hear someone’s story from their perspective, and she especially enjoys writing biographies of students. “I like to know that I’m informing people and I just love writing in general,” she says.

Besides journalism, Abby has been on the golf team since freshman year and is involved in photography at Fossil Ridge. She’s lived in Colorado her whole life with her parents, a sister who’s a sophomore, a brother who’s in sixth grade, and two dogs. Abby is an outgoing and funny person who loves to getting to know her peers. After high school, Abby would like to continue her journalism education at CU Boulder or University of Nebraska with a degree in Journalism, English, or Business. Her dream job would be to write for a magazine or newspaper where she’d have the opportunity to go out and talk to people; a job, she feels, where her social skills would fit well.

She is a girl of many traits but gives 110% in when she finds something she loves. “If something is important to me, I won’t let it be subpar,” says Abby. Her journalism for the sports beat reflects this through both her passion and dedication to the paper.