Column Chronicles: Selfie destruction - Frank Cotolo on 148.ca

Selfie destruction

Frank Cotolo
December 22, 2016

It continues to be a fact that taking a selfie is a most dangerous act. Statistics are now showing that more people die taking selfies than people die from almost any other meaningless task.

What happens? People taking selfies get selfie-indulgent and ignore spatial limits. They think that taking a selfie is easy so they do it in dangerous places and they get hurt. Some die.

In Russia, people climbed atop train cars to take selfies and they were electrocuted. In Africa, people have walked into a lions den to take selfies and have been eaten alive and sometimes continue to be eaten even after they are dead.

Then, when the selfie stick is employed, the lives of many people become threatened. Recently in Holland, twelve people taking a selfie with a selfie stick at a bowling alley were knocked down by bowling balls returning to the foot of the lane. By the way, not many people are aware there are bowling alleys in Holland, no less that people are injured at them.

People tried to take selfies while running with the bulls in Spain and the event's injury factor increased more than eighty percent. Bikers in the Tour De France suffered from severe head injuries trying to take selfies during the race, not to mention they lost precious ground that cost them a good spot at the finish.

The phenomena of taking a photo of yourself is not new but since phone cameras have become so common everyone feels they should have a photo of themselves anywhere they go and with everyone who goes with them.

People are accident prone to begin with, according to some studies, so whenever a person puts himself or herself into a distracting situation there is more than likely going to be an accident.

The math is simple. A person is likely to get into an accident twice as easily when a person thinks he or she is safe. Some studies show that 80 percent of all people in accidents think they won't have an accident. That, in essence, is the definition of accident. Look it up.

Here are some steps you can take not to get into an injurious situation while taking a selfie.

First, look around. Do you see large moving objects, such as automobiles or trucks or trains? Next, check the weather. Are you in weather that can cause you to get wet and slip? Of course, if you are somewhere where you see large moving objects, such as automobiles or trucks or trains and it is raining or snowing hard or there is lightning or a tornado is near, think twice about taking a selfie and think three times about using a selfie stick, which will put others in danger along with you. Lastly but not finally, ask yourself what you are doing in an area where you see large moving objects, such as automobiles or trucks or trains, and why you are standing outdoors in if it is raining or snowing hard or there is lightning or a tornado is near.

Please, remember selfies are a form of vanity and vanity is not worth the deaths it may cause.

Frank Cotolo can be found hosting the talk and interview programme Cotolo Chronicles. You can send him an e-mail at this address: frank@148.ca.