Selfies, they are therefore extremely dangerous

The selfie as a way of taking photos has existed for years, but since Kim Kardashian took it up, it has become a global phenomenon. And as it goes with global phenomena, people see an opportunity. Enter: the selfie stick. Hated and despised by many, lovingly embraced by others. But what did I read this week from our friends at Vice; more and more deaths occur while taking a selfie. Seriously.

During such a moment of photographic self-glorification, the world around you no longer exists, because you are in utmost concentration to capture yourself as favorably as possible. But that can sometimes go wrong. Just last week in Siberia, when a drunken man wanted to take a selfie on the tracks and was subsequently run over by a train. A few days earlier, something similar happened in India, where three students met their end when they wanted to take a selfie in front of a moving train. Train selfies are, for reasons totally inexplicable to me, particularly trendy.

 During such a moment of photographic self-glorification, the world around you no longer exists, because you are in utmost concentration to capture yourself as favorably as possible. But that can sometimes go wrong.

But as mentioned, things that are popular are immediately turned into something lucrative, one way or another. The selfie stick then. In Rio, the selfie stick is at least fully accepted, I can tell you. You can't walk three meters without tripping over someone with such a stick (not just tourists, by the way) and moreover, they are sold on the beach alongside caipirinhas, phone cases, and sarongs. At our office, Jet is a big fan of the selfie stick. Yes, even in public, “I just set my pride aside for a moment. My family is mortified when I do that in a restaurant, but hey, you get a great photo. And that's what it's all about, everything for a good photo.”

And she has a point. Because let's be honest, they are always amazing photos. There were plenty of moments during Rio when I secretly longed for such a silly stick to capture that magically beautiful beach moment well. But I'm not yet at the point where I dare to set that pride aside. Who knows, there was a time when I also wanted nothing to do with selfies and look at me now! Now just hoping that I don't have to pay for that newly acquired vanity with my life. To be continued (or not…).