10 Dangerous Selfie Trends We Should Probably All Avoid

I hate the “word” selfie so much, it gives me the chills. It actually kills me to give it a word when it’s actually a mangled version of a personal description. The fact that it invaded its way into the dictionary and became an iTunes hit truly disturbs me, but even scarier are the lengths people will go to take selfies during interesting situations. What started as a silly trend and word, has transformed into something that’s potentially fatal, or at the very least very dangerous, so if you choose to partake in the Age of the Selfie, be sure to avoid the choices of the folks below. Here are selfie traps you do not want to fall into – they could put your life or reputation in danger, and no amount of Instagram likes can justify either.

10. The train platform selfie

Please, please, please do NOT be this guy. Traveler Jared Michael wanted to capture the perfect selfie from his Machu Picchu, Peru adventures, but instead he was nearly killed by a train. Luckily the train’s conductor managed to kick the young guy out of the way before it was too late. Michael said the incident was more “shocking than painful,” and thank God for that. He made it out OK, and hopefully won’t attempt something like this again.

9. The animal selfie

Elephants don’t care who you are: if you violate their space for the sake of a selfie, there are consequences. Kim Kardashian learned this the hard way during her recent trip to Thailand, when she tried to snap a photo next to an elephant and, apparently, aggravated the animal. Kim later laughed it off as a “selfie fail” but she sure looks shaken up in this pic.

8. After-sex selfie

If you’d like to document the shared experience on social media, that’s within your rights, but keep in mind that the #aftersex Instagram trend invites the public into your most private, intimate moments. This may not be an issue for you, but consider your partner’s feelings as well as the possibility that the image could make its way over to your parents or relatives at some point.

7. Disaster selfie

After an explosive California crash killed at least ten people earlier this month, one of the banged up survivors took a selfie at the hospital. “Sucks that all my stuff got burned up but i’m glad i’m okay,” the teenager tweeted following the lethal wreck, “first thing i grabbed was my phone.” Though it’s a miracle that he lived, his instinct to SnapChat a picture including the words “but first…let me take a selfie,” a reference to the “Selfie” song, could come across as disrespectful to those who didn’t make it out of the burning cars.

6. The funeral selfie

Another person’s funeral isn’t about you. A funeral selfie won’t land you in the hospital, but it could certainly make you seem wildly insensitive, and that’s something to think about before uploading a pouty face onto Instagram or Facebook.

5. Bathroom selfies

MySpace hasn’t been a thing for a very long time. Don’t even remotely resurrect it by encouraging bathroom selfies. Everyone from Miley Cyrus to Geraldo Rivera should take note, especially since photos like the one above could alter your professional or personal image.

4. The elder-abuse selfie

You don’t want to be arrested, right? Well, this seems like it could definitely be grounds for jail time.

3. The driving selfie

Texting and driving is dangerous enough, so if you’d like to take a selfie behind the wheel, at least pull over and turn off the engine first. Come on Miley, we know you know better!

2. The roller coaster selfie

Can’t you just buy the photo the roller coaster camera captures for you? Sure it’s a ripoff and not as close to your face as you’d like, but anything is better than losing your phone or perhaps your life if you take a risk to snap the perfect selfie at the top of the roller coaster.

1. Subway tracks selfie

As we learned from #10, it’s dangerous to mess around by trains, and it’s equally dangerous to twerk and/or take selfies on the tracks. Late last year, two girls put their lives at risk when they twerked along the NYC tracks, and though no one was harmed, the goofy idea could have ended in carnage.

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What other selfie trends do you find harmful? Share in the comments section.