Selfies may have started out innocent enough, but as Instagram and Facebook culture have weaved themselves deeper into our lives, they've become something more of a contest to see who can get the best smile, the craziest background, or the sexiest angle. As fun as it may have been when social media first came out, selfies have become more extreme as time has gone on. And in order to get validation that your shot was worth it, one "like" won't cut it. In order to get Internet famous, people have pushed the limits, often putting themselves in danger in order to get the desired picture. That's the kicker: danger is what makes the selfie that more interesting in their eyes, which means more "likes."
Yet many of those selfies don't get any clicks, because some of them never get to be posted. Or, if they were, the taker of the selfie never gets to see how many hits their picture received. That's because some selfies end in tragedy: while the taker was focusing on their face, they weren't paying attention to the world around them. Here are some of the most recent incidents.
17-Year-Old Gets Electrocuted, Falls From Bridge Trying to Take Selfie
Woman Crashes After Taking "HAPPY" Selfies
Date: April 2014
Thirty-two-year-old Courtney Sanford drove down US highway Interstate 85 on an early April morning this year, posting selfies and updating her Facebook status at the same time. “The happy song makes me so HAPPY," she posted at 8:33 a.m. At 8:34 a.m., reports of a crash began coming in to authorities. It turns out that Sanford's car had crossed the center divider, and crashed into a recycling truck and burst into flames. Police said there seemed to be no evidence of drugs or speed involved in the crash, only Facebook.
“In a matter of seconds, a life was over just so she could notify some friends that she was happy. It’s really not worth it,” High Point Police Department spokesperson Lt Chris Weisner said.
Teen Dies Taking Selfie Next to a Train
Date: May 2014
A 15-year-old Indian boy stood on the tracks with an oncoming train approaching for a selfie he wanted to post on social media in May. When the train came barreling down the track, the boy—who has only been identified as "Edwin"—didn't get out of the way in time. He was killed instantly by the train, with his brother and friends looking on. If this sounds familiar to you, that's because another teen tried taking a video selfie next to a moving train a few months back, and was kicked in the head by the conductor.
Italian Girl Falls 60 Feet While Trying to Take Selfie
Date: June 2014
An Italian girl died while on a school trip to the town of Taranto in south-eastern Italy, when she stopped to take a selfie along the town's seafront. The girl, 16-year-old Isabella Fracchiolla, fell nearly 60 feet, landing on jagged rocks that broke her femur, pelvis, and head. She was raced to the hospital by paramedics, and died after a major operation to save her life.
Bride-to-Be Takes Car Selfie, Crashes Minutes Later
Mexico City Man Shoots Himself in Head While Taking Selfie With a Gun
Polish Couple Falls From Cliff After Posing For Selfie in Portugal
