Experts who study accidental death are getting a whole new picture of sudden mortality. One calls the phenomenon “Death By Selfie”.

You won’t find that listed as an official cause on a death certificate, but it’s a real thing. All around the world, more people are risking their lives — and losing their lives — in a quest for the perfect picture. And now there’s data.

An American study in 2018 documented 259 selfie-related deaths over the previous six years. The average age of those who died was 23, and three quarters of the victims were boys and young men. The age groups of 10-19 and 20-29 years had particularly high casualties.

Drowning was the highest cause of death while taking selfies. In one incident, a group of people taking a photo together was hit by a wave that injured several and swept one person out to sea. In another, a swimmer attempting a selfie with a walrus was pulled under and drowned by the one-tonne creature.

A later study from 2023 showed that selfie deaths steadily increased until the pandemic struck. Then, with more people less active, the number of deaths fell from about four a month to just one a month.

Even so, 332 Americans died between March 2014 and April 2021 while trying for a stunning photo.

But since COVID, the leading cause of selfie deaths has shifted from drownings to falls, notably from cliffs,........

© Sarnia Observer