A 14-year-old girl lost her life while attempting to take selfies at the Sinywa Waterfall in Paung, Mon state, Myanmar. Moe Sa Nay, who had amassed a substantial following of 150,000 on TikTok, slipped on wet rocks and was swept away by the fast-flowing current on July 22, 2024.
The young girl was posing for pictures with her friends when the incident occurred. As she slipped, Nay was carried downstream and became trapped between two large boulders, where she drowned. Her friends, who witnessed the incident, could not free her from the powerful current.
Rescue teams were quickly dispatched, but it took until the following morning to retrieve her body from between the rocks. Video footage showed volunteers and firefighters struggling to pull Nay’s body from the narrow gap, using ropes tied around her hands to extract her. Mon Zaw, a rescue worker, explained that she died because she couldn’t free herself despite multiple attempts to rescue her, even with the help of aid organizations and officials. Another friend who slipped and fell into the water was rescued and only suffered minor injuries.
Nay’s body was taken to Paung Township General Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Her friend, who also slipped but suffered only minor injuries, was fortunate to escape with her life. This event has highlighted the dangerous and sometimes deadly consequences of the global selfie craze, particularly among young people.
Although most visits are uneventful, the incident involving the two young girls at Sinywa is not unprecedented. In 2019, two 19-year-old women met a similar fate at Taw Naw Waterfall in Kayin, southeast Myanmar. According to the media, the women were taking photos at the top of the waterfall when they tragically fell 60 meters to their deaths.
A recent study by researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia has found that taking selfies has become a significant public health problem. The study reviewed incidents worldwide and concluded that nearly 400 deaths had occurred due to selfie-related accidents over a 13-year period. The majority of victims were young female tourists in their early 20s, with falling and drowning being the leading causes of death.
Dr. Samuel Cornell, a specialist in risk analysis who contributed to the study, remarked that selfie-related incidents should be considered a public health issue necessitating a public health response. He noted that there has been insufficient focus on preventing these incidents through methods aimed at changing behavior or direct communication with users via apps.
The study suggested that risk reduction methods such as “no selfie zones,” physical barriers, and signage are insufficient to prevent accidents. Instead, it emphasized the need for direct safety messaging to social media users to raise awareness about the dangers of taking selfies in hazardous locations.
“It’s an unhealthy extension of our celebrity culture and social media pressures,” added Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel of NYU Langone, who did not participate in the study.
The dangers of selfies are not only physical but also psychological. The pressure to capture the perfect shot can lead to risky behavior and a disconnect from reality. The study recommended that social media platforms install software to warn users of the dangers when they attempt to take selfies in dangerous areas.
As social media continues to play a significant role in the lives of young people, educating everyone about the potential hazards and encouraging safe practices is crucial to preventing further tragedies.