Are They Trolling Us? The Russian Government Releases a Ridiculous Guide to "Safe Selfies"

This is how not to take a selfie, according to the Russian government.

Taking a selfie can be a dangerous activity as we've learned from people who have accidentally shot themselves, been electrocuted, crashed their cars, fallen off cliffs, and been hit by trains while trying to do it for the 'Gram. In its efforts to combat selfie-related deaths, Russia has released a "safe selfie" guide, according to Dazed.

This may seem like a joke, but the country has recently experienced dozens of of tragic deaths that have all been caused by someone trying to take a cool selfie. The trend has alarmed The Russian Interior Ministry which said on its website the organization "is concerned about the increasing incidence of trauma and even death when trying to make a unique selfie... We have tried to visualize, in the form of icons, the most traumatic cases from the creation of selfies, thus to warn citizens against undue risk for a memorable picture."

The icons feature camera-ready stick figure drawings in precarious positions, like in front of an oncoming train, with a gun, on top of a large beamed structure, or near presumably dangerous animals. Surely not by coincidence, a majority of these situations have caused a real life death. 

Head over to the Russian government's website to see its full "safe selfie" guide. You never know when you're going to need it. 

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