Taking selfies is now a ‘public health problem’, say researchers after spate of deaths at beauty spots

Taking selfies should be considered a ‘public health problem’, according to new research.

Academics in Australia analyzed scientific papers and media reports on injuries or deaths from selfies worldwide since 2008.

They found nearly 400 had been reported over the 13-year study period — including 77 in the US.

Victims were most likely to be female tourists in their early 20s, while falling and drowning while taking a photo the leading two causes of death.

Researchers said the public must be made aware of the risks posed by selfies — with an estimated 92million snapped globally every day — and urged social media apps to install software to warn people of the dangers as they go to take a selfie.

Andrea Norton, 20, was an environmental science major at Briar University and was a member of the school’s volleyball team and symphony choir. She fell to her death in 2019 while taking a selfie at a popular beauty spot in an Arkansas national park

Sofia Cheung, an Instagram star, is shown above in her last Instagram post. She died in 2021 after losing her footing and slipping at a waterfall

A 23-year-old American tourist fell into Mount Vesuvius, Italy, while taking a selfie and dropping his cell phone inside the volcano in 2022

Dr Samuel Cornell, a risk expert at the University of New South Wales, Australia, and others wrote in the paper: ‘The selfie-related incident phenomenon should be viewed as a public health problem that requires a public health response.

‘To date, little attention has been paid to averting selfie-related incidents through behavior change methodologies or direct messaging to users through apps.

‘Although previous research has recommended “no selfie zones”, barriers and signage as ways to prevent selfie incidents, our results suggest this may not be enough.

‘It may be prudent to also engage in direct safety messaging to social media users.’

Twenty-year-old student Andrea Norton plunged 100 feet to her death off a cliff in Arkansas after slipping while taking a selfie in 2019.

She was at Hawksbill Crag in the Ozark National Forest — which is a popular spot for taking photos among hikers.

In her obituary, her family said: ‘Andrea developed a genuine love for the planet and devoted herself to making a major impact in the preservation. She never lost her rambunctious approach to achieving her goals.’

In January 2022, a 21-year-old hiker also fell to his death after he slipped taking a selfie at the top of a mountain in Arizona. 

Richard Jacobson’s body was found on a trail about 700 foot from where he fell. 

Another victim is Instagram star Sofia Cheung, who plunged to her death in 2021 after she lost her footing while taking a selfie at a waterfall in Hong Kong.

The 32-year-old, who had 35,000 followers on Instagram, fell into the waterfalls plunge pool. She was rushed to hospital, but later pronounced dead.

Richard Jacobson, 21, fell to his death from a mountain peak last year. His friend told Dailymail.com that Jacobson ‘got along with everyone’ and ‘treated everyone with respect’ 

There have also been a number of near-misses.

Earlier this year, a 42-year-old cruise passenger in Florida was said to be lucky to still be alive after she fell 10 storeys from the railing of a ship while posing for a selfie.

And in July last year, a 23-year-old American tourist survived after falling into the crater of an active volcano in Italy while trying to capture pictures for social media.

Authorities in some countries have previously had to issue warnings over selfies including in the UK where earlier this year coastguards warned people not to get selfies with storm waves after a woman was photographed being swept off her feet while posing in front of a storm surge.

For the paper, researchers searched for studies including the terms ‘selfie’ and ‘death, fall, injury, deadly, drowning or accident’ published in the US or Australia.

They also searched online for news articles on deaths or injuries involving selfies in either country dated back to 2011. 

Their search revealed five scientific studies and 12 news articles which were included in their analysis.

Reports from each were then compiled to establish the leading causes of death from selfies.  

Data from the papers also showed injuries or deaths from selfies had risen over time, with three fatalities reported in 2013 compared to 68 in 2019.

There was then a brief lull in 2020 — due to the Covid pandemic — with 37 deaths before numbers surged again with 31 deaths reported in just the first half of 2021.

The average age of victims was 22 years old, the researchers found. 

Geographically, the study’s suggested that India was the most common country for selfie deaths and injuries to be reported (100 deaths), followed by the US (39 cases) and Russia (33 cases).