Death by Selfie: An All Too Common Trend

We have all seen them: The Instagram photos of people perched precariously on a cliff, building, ledge, you name it. Whether they are done for sheer exhilaration or to gain more followers on a social media platform, the age of the selfie is dominating travel photography. 

But recently, the death toll related to selfies – and just plain risky photos in general – has reached epic proportions and articles are popping up around the Web reminding people to be mindful of their surroundings when snapping pics. 

In Peru, there were two incidents in one week involving deaths while taking selfies. In Machu Picchu a man fell more than 300 feet to his death. 

“The man came over to take the photo and in the moment he was handing him the camera, he lost his balance and fell,” a witness told Canal N in Peru.

Another man says died taking a selfie at Peru’s Gocta waterfall. 

Travel + Leisure reminded readers that “the two incidents are tragic reminders that while a unique photo can make a great souvenir, it isn't worth your life. Pay attention to your surroundings, and mind warning signs.”

The Next Web, which pointed to several recent incidents of risky photos, also pointed out that photographers need to take precautions and that no amount of social media attention is worth risking your life. 

“We see a lot of people die doing what they love, but no amount of Likes and retweets should ever be worth a cool-looking selfie. The statistics over the past two years show no sign of significant slowdowns, which is worrying.”

Cool pictures are the perfect souvenirs of a memorable trip. But risking your life isn’t the way to create those memories – that’s what photoshop is for

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