Taking the perfect selfie is presenting a modern problem as experts reveal the increase in injuries and deaths that come from posing for a picture. 

Drowning, falls, animal attacks and pedestrian incidents are all tragedies that have increased as people venture out to capture themselves or their loved ones in locations around the world. 

Injury Prevention Researcher at the University of NSW Dr Amy Peden said that striving for the most picturesque backdrop can lead to high-risk scenarios. 

“Many of these are aquatic locations or are on cliffs or rocky outcrops. Trying to capture the best image can mean people are temporarily distracted or have a momentary lack of self-awareness,” Dr Peden said. 

“There are many tragic cases of this from around Australia and indeed around the world, including mass drowning incidents in Indonesia,” she said. 

The drowning in Indonesia, which saw a group selfie end in an overloaded boat capsize, left seven people out of 20 dead.

A simple internet search will reveal hundreds of similar headlines of selfie-related deaths that are becoming increasingly commonplace.

A 2020 US survey revealed that a 41 per cent of respondents had risked their safety in pursuit of a selfie and that more than half would stand on the edge of a cliff for a picture.

The research also reported that more people die attempting to take a selfie than in shark attacks.

Dr Peden indicated that reducing the injuries and deaths is the responsibility of the social media site where they are being posted, suggesting an urgent need to communicate safety information on the platform itself, much like the current COVID-19 disclaimer and information on relevant posts.

Last week, Instagram awarded a public safety grant to Dr Peden and her colleagues to help improve water safety at risky Instagram hotspots via targets information. 

“We hope that we can develop evidence-based solutions to this very modern problem. Simply getting some water safety information in front of people before or while they are at the location through hashtags and location information on social media may make all the difference,” Dr Peden said. 

There is also an onus on every individual to take their own safety into account when pulling out their camera. 

“Obviously, nobody expects this will happen to them, but tragedy can occur in an instant. If there are warning signs or fences, they are there for a reason,” she said.  

Dr Peden has urged tourists to check destination and attraction websites for any potential hazards or risks, and to follow the safety advice of each location.