Selfie in front of a suicide attempt lands on N.Y. Post cover
Yes, selfies have officially become so ubiquitous that “selfie” is Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year. But maybe, just maybe, we’re getting a little too comfortable with snapping pictures of ourselves as we go through our day.
Case in point: On Tuesday, a woman in New York found occasion for a selfie when she witnessed a man attempting to commit suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, according to the New York Post. The paper took a photo of the selfie in progress, and splashed it on the front page with the headline “SELFIE-ISH!” (The Post reports that the man did not jump but was saved by officers.)
The woman, who declined to give her name, isn’t the first to be selfie-shamed. There’s a whole Tumblr for that. “Selfies at Serious Places” features people who thought it would be appropriate not only to take selfies at places like Auschwitz and Chernobyl but also to post the pictures to social media – with hashtags such as #selfie and #hungover.
Of course, the woman on the Post’s cover isn’t the only target of criticism. The paper itself doesn’t exactly have a clean record when it comes to being tasteful.
Does @nypost really care about selfie taken w/ brooklyn bridge suicide attempt? YOU POSTED A MAN ABOUT TO GET HIT BY A TRAIN AND DIE! #wtf— JenRoc20 (@jenroc20) December 4, 2013
Ok I am now convinced, that humanity is lost for sure...A woman takes selfie on Brooklyn Bridge while man in background attempts suicide....— Ms. Curtis Brooks (@cb74745) December 4, 2013
Okay did this Brooklyn bridge selfie person know there was a guy about to commit suicide? I think she’s getting wrongly attacked— Zainabun (@zeemuffin) December 4, 2013
So what’s your take? Are we getting too comfortable with selfies? Do those with poor taste deserve to be shamed in the media? Tweet me your thoughts: @lauraelizdavis.
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