The recent news of a 16-year-old boy falling from a moving train to death while taking a selfie near Chuadanga Railway Station adds to the increasing number of fatalities due to the selfie-craze. Teens or, in fact, even adults, are nowadays found addicted to taking selfies. And in an attempt to make their selfies appear unique and exotic, they do not hesitate to risk their lives. They even risk climbing buildings or stand in front of moving trains to get a perfect background for their picture. But in between the attempts to have a perfect selfie, many even embrace death.
Some studies have found this new phenomenon related to selfie addiction. With the rise in popularity of different social media platforms, from Facebook, Instagram to Snapchat, people have been obsessed with documenting their activities through seflies putting their lives at risk. Why people indulge in such activities is hard to explain. An awareness campaign in the social as well as the mainstream media should be launched to stop this suicidal trend among the selfie-crazy people. Also, tourist spots should be provided with extra staff to look after the issue.
Afroza Sheikh,
Dania, Dhaka,
ilcbd2008@gmail.com