Taking Selfies Is Now Considered A 'Public Health Problem'

Smiling woman taking selfie on smart phone in city

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Taking selfies is now considered to be a serious "public health problem," according to a recent study conducted by the University of New South Wales.

Researchers examined how selfie-related deaths and injuries were reported in tourists hotspots as part of a review published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research in September, FOX News reports. Falls from a height occurred most commonly, followed by drowning.

Sam Cornell, a research officer at the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, who served as the lead author of the study, said he specifically wanted to learn more about environmental and aquatic-related deaths caused by taking selfies.

"I wasn’t looking at people getting injured from taking selfies on man-made structures or train lines, for instance," Cornell said in an email to FOX News.

The study showed that the average age of selfie-related deaths was 22 and most casualties were female tourists.

"I was surprised that when I drilled down in this way, young females were implicated the most," Cornell said via FOX News.

The risk of selfie-related deaths varies by country, according to Cornell.

"In India, lots of people die in bodies of water, often in groups," he said. "In the U.S. and Australia, people are getting injured or dying while alone — normally as a result of falling from a cliff."


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