# More People Die from Selfies than from Sharks **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 24, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403 "2015-09-24T14:57:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/1 "2015-09-24T14:57:36Z")
So says the headline. It’s clauimed that more people die every year trying to take a selfie and losing track of their surroundings (fatally) than are killed by sharks. [http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/video/more-people-died-this-year-trying-to-take-a-selfie-than-from-shark-attacks/vi-AAeCyjh?ocid=DELLDHP](http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/video/more-people-died-this-year-trying-to-take-a-selfie-than-from-shark-attacks/vi-AAeCyjh?ocid=DELLDHP) How do they know? Who the hell compiles statistics like this? Is this maybe one of those back-of-the-envelope estimation exercises? I don’t know. Can’t watch the video here. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/2 "2015-09-24T15:09:16Z")
The subset of people killed taking selfies with sharks is smaller the the set of all people killed taking selfies. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/3 "2015-09-24T15:16:25Z")
Shark attack statistics, not unreasonably, rely on documented shark attacks. Those are pretty rare, but then, they rely on someone witnessing the attack, the victim surviving to tell about it, or the recovery of remains showing clear signs of shark activity. Whenever I see a comparison with shark attack fatality stats, I wonder how many “Lost At Sea” entries should be marked “Probably Eaten By Sharks”. As to Death By Selfie stats…no idea. Can’t watch the video here, either. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/4 "2015-09-24T15:34:57Z")
How about some other rare ways to die? Like, death by eating too much celery? or ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/5 "2015-09-24T16:19:26Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > How about some other rare ways to die? Like, death by eating too much celery? or My personal favorite is: [“Stampede of chipmonks.”](http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/1f11/#tabs) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/6 "2015-09-24T16:21:43Z")
Breaking news: more people own cell phones than swim in the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/7 "2015-09-24T17:37:27Z")
How would you even induce a shark to take your picture? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/8 "2015-09-24T18:33:09Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > How would you even induce a shark to take your picture? 😕 Have the picture on you when the shark swallows you? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/9 "2015-09-24T18:35:53Z")
Call it a technological advance in Darwinism. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/10 "2015-09-24T18:49:31Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > The subset of people killed taking selfies with sharks is smaller the the set of all people killed taking selfies. What’ll we call those… sel_fishies_? Btw, great username/post combo. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/11 "2015-09-24T19:15:51Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > How about some other rare ways to die? Like, death by eating too much celery? Molasses asphyxiation ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/12 "2015-09-24T19:18:15Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > How about some other rare ways to die? Like, death by eating too much celery? Blogging accidents. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/13 "2015-09-24T21:25:09Z")
If there was a website that published the selfies that were taken by people who died as a result, I would totally look at that website. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/14 "2015-09-24T21:37:28Z")
Selfies are such a problem in Russia that [the police have issued a “safe selfie” guide](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2303953433b043a5b607cb648646979d/russian-police-issue-instructions-safe-selfies). > [@](#): > > The instructions issued Tuesday warn against standing on railroad tracks, climbing onto roofs or posing with a gun or a tiger. > > These are some of the ways that police say at least 10 Russians have been killed and 100 injured while taking selfies this year. > > The most recent death occurred last week when a woman fell from a bridge in Moscow. I agree, I would totally like to see the resulting pictures. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/15 "2015-09-24T22:08:12Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > How do they know? Who the hell compiles statistics like this? Is this maybe one of those back-of-the-envelope estimation exercises? > > I don’t know. Can’t watch the video here. The video says 12 selfie deaths vs. 8 shark attack deaths in the past year. I imagine it was not systematic but just a compilation of news reports. > [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > How about some other rare ways to die? Like, death by eating too much celery? or [Death by coconut.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_by_coconut) The original research won an Ig Nobel prize. [Champagne corks.](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1043775/Champagne-corks-Inflatable-elephants-Too-Viagra--new-book-revealing-unlikely-ways-people-meet-maker.html?oo=102140) ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/16 "2015-09-25T02:36:12Z")
I have seen people taking selfies with sharks. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/17 "2015-09-25T02:56:25Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > How about some other rare ways to die? Like, death by eating too much celery? or [One of my favorite Wikipedia lists.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unusual_deaths) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/18 "2015-09-25T03:17:27Z")
> [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#): > > [One of my favorite Wikipedia lists.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unusual_deaths) > [@](#): > > Greek intellectual Philitas of Cos […] said to have studied arguments and erroneous word usage so intensely that he wasted away and starved to death I’m pretty sure that’s the number one cause of death for Dopers. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/19 "2015-09-25T04:28:24Z")
> [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#): > > [One of my favorite Wikipedia lists.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unusual_deaths) Well that was two hours I’ll never get back. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403/20 "2015-09-25T07:54:42Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > I’m pretty sure that’s the number one cause of death for Dopers. No, the second one; the number one is nitpicking. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-people-die-from-selfies-than-from-sharks/732403.md?page=2)