Tourism Department responds with  #SELFIEKILLS

BENGALURU:  With the number of ‘selfie deaths’ on the rise in city and state, the government has been forced to act. The Tourism Department has decided to launch an all-out social media campaign to reach more people and warn them about the dangers while taking selfies. The aim is to reach more people rather than using the conventional methods of marking places as safe and unsafe zones.

Speaking with City Express, Priyank Kharge, Tourism Minister, says that selfie mishaps can take place anywhere be it a Cubbon park, railway tracks or even one's home and locality. "It is virtually impossible to predict and prevent when and where such as mishap will take place. So rather than just telling people not to go to certain accident-prone areas or fagging off danger zones, we are starting a campaign that tries to warn people generally to be careful.

I have written to deputy directors to look into the effort and spread the campaign's message," he says. The campaign will employ gifs, videos, photos, text and audio modes and will be spread across various social media platforms from Facebook to Twitter. Already the department has made a few gifs and videos on around five themes. "They are along the lines of preventing people from taking selfies with animals, on railway tracks and other places," says Kharge.

One such video was viewed by this reporter. It starts with a phone camera clicking multiple pictures till it is pushed away. The text '#SELFIEKILLS  Don't kill yourself by posing for a selfie near wild animals' appears thereafter. "The campaign will be first tested in a 'controlled environment'," adds Kharge. It will be spread in as many social media groups and platforms as possible adds Kharge. The idea behind the message is to get varied people enthused.  "Not everyone is a wildlife enthusiast. Some people like landscapes, and others something else. We are trying to get the reactions from and the message to all sections of people," he adds. 

Alpa Prasad, a retail employee says that the measure will definitely reach more people since everyone is on social media platforms. "The city police are employing various ways to reach out to the public on social media platforms and they are doing a fabulous job. I think the tourism department thinking of a similar method is a good effort. One, however, has to see to what extent will it dissuade people to not risk their lives," she adds.