Taking selfies could turn nasty if you’re not aware of your surrounding, which is why Russian Government recently launched a campaign to encourage people to be safer when taking self-portraits.
According to the Russian police, selfies has lead to about 100 injuries and dozens of deaths this year. Worried about the safety of its citizens, the Russian government has begun sending out leaflets and videos, advising people to not perform risky acts just to capture the best selfies.
The leaflet tells people what not to do when taking a selfies, like “a selfies on the railway tracks is a bad idea if you value your life”, accompanied with an image of a figure holding a selfies stick while on the railway track. It also tells people to not take silly selfies such as with dangerous animals, a gun, and such.
“Before taking a selfies, everyone should think about the fact that racing after a high number of ‘likes’ could lead someone on journey to death and his last extreme photo could turn out posthumous.”
This is in light of the recent selfies-related accidents. The Guardian reports that in May, a 21-year-old woman accidentally shot herself in the head while taking a selfies holding a pistol. She survived, but not everyone is as lucky as her. In January, two young men died while taking a selfie with a grenade with the pin pulled out, while in May, a teenager was killed trying to take a selfies as he climbed on a railway bridge when he accidentally came into contact with live electrical wires.
It may sound weird to have such campaign, but accidents do happen, especially when one is busy playing with the phone and are unaware of their surround. So the next time you take that phone out for that epic selfies, make sure it’s safe to do so.
(Source: The Guardian)
