Media-Based Research on Selfie-Related Deaths in Italy

The incidence of taking selfies and sharing them on social media as well as selfie-related dangerous behaviors is increasing, particularly among young people, also leading to selfie-related trauma and death. This study was performed to obtain epidemiological characteristics of selfie-related mortality in Italy.

Scientific literature and Italian media were reviewed.

Twelve victims from 11 events, from 2014 to 2018, were analyzed (sex, age, accident types, the nationality, the Italian region where the incident took place, if the person involved was indigenous or a tourist, the dynamics and the causa mortis, if other people have been involved in the selfie, and if other people were deceased). The majority of selfie victims were male teenagers, the average age was 23.6 years, the most preferred site of taking selfies was the natural environment followed by the railway one, the most frequently reported event or accident type was falling from a height, and the most frequent causes of selfie-related deaths were multitrauma and drowning.

Selfie-related deaths in Italy appear to be an issue and appear to be increasing. Particularly, male teenagers and young adults are at high risk for selfie-related deaths. Measures should be taken to reduce their incidence.