A new study is suggesting that because selfie-related injuries and deaths at tourist hotspots have become such an issue, they should be viewed as a “public health problem.”
The study comes from the University of New South Wales, Australia. It highlights the risk of selfie-related deaths at picturesque aquatic locations like waterfalls.
The study found that since 2008, there have been 379 deaths from selfie-related incidents.
Four separate peer-reviewed studies identified that a fall from a height, such as a cliff or a waterfall, is the most common selfie-related incident. Drowning was the second most common cause of death.
The study examined how selfie-related injuries and deaths received media coverage.
“The selfie-related incident phenomenon should be viewed as a public health problem that requires a public health risk communication response,” the report concluded. “To date, little attention has been paid to averting selfie-related incidents through behavior change methodologies or direct messaging to users, including through social media apps.”
According to the report, teens and young adults in their 20s are more prone to impulsive choices, as their prefrontal cortex is still in development.
Researchers suggest that because of this, they are more prone to gratification over safety.
The report found that people often climbed over barriers and into areas that were blocked off to get better pictures before their deaths. The mean age of victims was 22, and the study says most of them were female tourists.
The researchers say in their study that barriers and signage warning of dangers “may not be enough” and that direct safety messaging should be sent to social media users.
“Media reporting of selfie incidents should focus on preventive messaging rather than blame or warning,” researchers said.