It appears Darwin was on to something after all. In the most stunning statistic of the new narcissistic normal's sharing economy, The Sydney Morning Herald reports [3] that, since 2013, deaths from shark attacks have been outnumbered by deaths while taking a selfie.
At least 11 people have died this year while trying to take a selfie, according to a Wikipedia page that tracks media reports of selfie-related injuries and deaths. At least 11 people died while trying to photograph themselves in 2014, according to the list.
By comparison, just three people were killed in shark attacks last year, according to statistics from the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File. An average of six people a year have died from shark attacks in the decade to 2014 and Mashable reports that eight people have been killed in shark attacks so far this year.
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The figures say as much about shark fatalities as they do about the dangers of not paying attention to your surroundings - or worse, intentionally putting yourself in harm's way for the sake of a Facebook or Instagram post.
And although the Wikipedia list is by no means comprehensive (at least three deaths, listed below, have not been recorded) it makes for sobering reading.
Falls were the most common cause of death, accounting for eight of the 22 deaths listed over the two years, as well as the death of a 21-year-old Singaporean man, not listed on the Wikipedia page, who fell from a seaside cliff in Bali.
The latest recorded death is of a Japanese tourist who slipped and fell down the stairs at the Taj Mahal on September 18.
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And while some selfies are "to die for"...
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In Russia, the danger has apparently become so acute that in July police launched a campaign urging people to take care after about 100 people were reportedly injured while taking selfies.
"A cool selfie could cost you your life," the Interior Ministry warned in a brochure accompanying a video and website listing risky locations to take selfies.
Other tips from the Russian campaign include: "A selfie on the railway tracks is a bad idea if you value your life" and "A selfie with a weapon kills".
