We humans have an incredible capacity for worrying about trivial things. We take a tiny worry and nurture it, like a caring gardener, until it grows. And if we don’t cut it down in time, that worry, like weeds, can take over a large part of our mind.
And we worry so much because we have a chronic inability to see things in perspective. Since we can’t separate ourselves from the person observing and feeling (ourselves), we worry about problems we’ll probably never have.
Such is the case of a curious news story I recently read, which claimed that selfies are more dangerous than sharks. The statistics don’t lie: more people die taking selfies than from shark attacks. However, we are much more concerned about sharks because we perceive them as a threat, when in reality, one of the greatest threats we face is ourselves.
Science Alert magazine has reported that so far this year, only eight people have died from shark attacks, but, shockingly, at least 12 deaths have occurred due to selfie-related incidents.
One of the most recent cases was that of a 66-year-old Japanese man who slipped and fell down the stairs of the Taj Mahal while taking a selfie. But he’s far from the only one; other cases have been reported in the press. They range from people who have had car accidents while taking a selfie to this young man who accidentally shot himself with a gun while taking a selfie.
The selfie situation is beginning to worry some governments. In fact, the United Kingdom has launched an awareness campaign to discourage people from taking photos in dangerous places, and in Australia, authorities have had to ban access to some potentially dangerous sites that have become meccas for selfie enthusiasts.
What’s going on? Have we gone crazy?
Selfies are much more than just pressing a button and taking a photo. Behind this phenomenon lie various social changes, inextricably linked to the technological revolution we’ve experienced in recent years and the new way we relate to each other. From my perspective, I believe the risk a selfie can pose depends on several factors:
1. Reduced attention span. Many people are so absorbed in immortalizing themselves that they forget what’s going on around them. It’s the same thing that happens to us when we’re so absorbed in our own worries that we don’t notice the car approaching as we try to cross the street. When we look at the camera, our attention span decreases, and we don’t even realize it.
2. Low perception of danger. Paradoxically, although we have many worries, our perception of danger is low. Various studies have shown that we tend to think of ourselves as a kind of “superhero”: we believe that others are more likely to get sick, have an accident, or die than we are. This low perception of danger leads us to engage in risky behaviors because we think we’ll be safe or that it won’t “happen to us.”
3. Desire for attention. Never before have our lives been so exposed. Social media has made the fight for attention even more fierce. In this context, many people strive to have unique profiles that capture the attention of others. And anything goes, even if it means breaking the law or putting one’s life at risk. In fact, it’s no coincidence that a study conducted at Ohio State University found a relationship between the number of selfies posted on social media and a person’s level of narcissism and psychopathy.
Of course, the goal isn’t to demonize selfies. Far from it! But we need to pay more attention and, above all, stop seeing the world through the camera and look more into our own eyes. When we fully experience an experience, there’s no need to document it. Perhaps it’s better to let go of our obsession with documenting and start living more.
References:
Rooney, M. & Fox, J. et. Al. (2015) The Dark Triad and trait self-objectification as predictors of men’s use and self-presentation behaviors on social networking sites. Journal Personality and Individual Differences; 76: 161-165.
MacDonald, F. (2015) Selfies have killed more people than sharks this year, reports show. En: Science Alert.
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