Here’s how many people who have died taking selfies in the last few years

From people who’ve taken one step too many backwards on a cliff edge, to people who’ve been mauled to death by bears, taking selfies is a risky business.

The modern obsession with capturing an Instagram-friendly shot in any situation – regardless how dangerous – has cost more than 250 lives in the past six years.

More than 85% of victims are aged between 10 and 30.

Researchers analysed 259 selfie deaths from 2011 to 2017 – and found that most selfie-takers died from drowning, followed closely by being killed by trains and other forms of transport, then falling from great heights.

But others have been killed by electrocution and even by animals.

Agam Bansal said, ‘The selfie deaths have become a major public health problem.

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‘If you’re just standing, simply taking it with a celebrity or something, that’s not harmful. But if that selfie is accompanied with risky behavior then that’s what makes the selfies dangerous.”

He said, ‘What worries me the most is that it is a preventable cause of death,” he said.

‘Taking a toll on these many numbers just because you want a perfect selfie because you want a lot of likes, shares on Facebook, Twitter or other social media, I don’t think this is worth compromising a life for such a thing.’