In the 70s, 80s and a good part of 90s it was a crazy to be photographed by the best of photographers. The photographers at weddings, friends get-together, at-homes had to be booked well in advance. It would take years and years of apprenticeship with a famous photographer to be called a real photographer and someone who could be booked for important family gatherings.
The advent of phones with camera changed it all. Everyone was now a photographer who photographed everything under the sun. There was no privacy and anyone could be made public at any place. Then erupted a trend where the photographer clicked himself – the photographer was the art as well as the artist. Soon we could see young men and women compressing their lips, pouring at their best with the mobile phone in their hands photographing themselves – the act being called a selfie.
The selfie culture took a dangerous turn when a few trends of selfies in dangerously precautions situations became viral. Sooner we found people taking selfies at the edge of a cliff perched dangerous like a goat, or on a beach when the storm was raging, at the edge of a boat in speedy waters, on the edges building terraces and with dangerous animals. Accidents were bound to follow. A lot of people died taking selfies stop trains, buses, cars and boats. In countries like Oman a lot of Indians died taking selfies at beaches where waves are normally more than ten feet high. In US a lot of people died in bad lands, Rockies and the natural parks while taking selfies.
Selfies in precarious situations have destroyed families, killed dreams. The need for more likes, reshares and comments have led youth to go to dangerous extremes. We find youth taking unbelievable selfies in situations which otherwise mandates great care and treading safely. Throwing caution to the winds youth indulge in the best selfie war unmindful of the perilous consequences.
The government must identify many such places in Kashmir and declare ban youth from taking selfies there. The government must take sui motto notice of youth posting dangerous selfies in their social media posts. Life is a gift. We cannot to afford youth to wate this gift just in return to a few more likes, comments and reshares.
