The Indian Obsession with a Selfie

We’ve all come across ridiculous ‘selfie’ taking and even heard some funny stories of mishaps while taking a selfie. However, apparently India stands as the number one country in the world for ‘selfie accidents’.  I don’t want to make light of these accidents, but you have to admit that some of the following incidents are crazy.  They are now being dubbed as ‘killfies’.

Recently, four people from the same family fell into a dam and drowned while taking a selfie in a nearby state.  I don’t quite understand why so many Indians go so close to, or into water when they know they cannot swim.  It is such a common way of dying in India but they keep heading into the water for selfies.

Again, a young boy on a school excursion to an old Indian step well, was taking a selfie with a friend and they fell in.  Unfortunately, only one of the boys survived and was able to be rescued.

In another incident, a group of boys were playing on a railway track trying to take a selfie of themselves while a train was coming.  They jumped off the track to avoid the oncoming train, but jumped on to the neighbouring track and were killed by a train coming on that other track…….. really ??!!

A young boy was playing on top of a train taking selfies and was electrocuted when he held on to the high voltage wires…..

I have seen selfies being taken by the driver of a motorbike with other passengers on board !!

India has over 1.1 billion mobile phone contracts and phones are an essential part of life here.  I am often the subject of many a selfie at the mall !!  The number of young boys and girls dying due to phone use has started to worry governments.  In Gujarat there is now an entire section at school on teaching the dangers of taking selfies in risky locations.