Things That Were Destroyed Because of Selfies
It’s impossible to do anything or go anywhere without seeing someone take a selfie. Some people blame the "pics or it didn’t happen" culture that sprung up alongside the smartphone revolution while others blame sheer narcissism for the trend, although it’s probably a little bit of both. People have died because of selfies, but what about all the things that have been destroyed because of selfies? Human beings can break things better than anyone, and now that everyone is trying to outdo one another with their crazy selfies, it’s only a matter of time before someone tips over the Leaning Tower of Pisa in pursuit of that perfect shot. If you think we’re being reactionary, take a look at all these things that have been destroyed because of selfies.
It seems that people will go to any length to get likes, faves, or whatever on the Internet. It doesn’t matter if they have to risk their lives or destroy a priceless piece of art - if they can capture themselves doing something unique, it’s all worth it. If you haven’t already lost all faith in the human race, you’re probably going to start praying for a meteorite to hit Earth after you read about how many animals people have killed for a photo op. Steel thyself, here’s all the stuff that has been destroyed with selfies.
After you finish cringing at all the things selfies have destroyed, leave us a comment about the lengths you’ve gone to in pursuit of the perfect selfie. Especially if you’re a ghost.Tourist Careens Into Priceless Art, Destroying It in Pursuit of the Perfect Selfie
A Brazilian tourist at the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon, Portugal, walked backwards into a priceless 18th century sculpture of Saint Michael on November 8, 2016. The piece clattered to the floor and shattered. According to museum officials, irreparable damage was done. It was the second time in a year a priceless sculpture in Lisbon was destroyed by a someone taking a selfie.
The selfie-taker dashed off before museum personnel could detain him/her. Museum director Antonio Filipe Pimentel used the incident to point out a problem with under staffing at museums throughout the world: "There are only 64 people for 84 chambers open to public. I am very sure one day we will see hazards in the museum. It will happen because we're playing with our heritage."
Selfie Snapper Knocks Over 126-Year-Old Statue
In Portugal, an anonymous tourist proved that people are the worst when he tried to take a selfie with a statue of Dom Sebastiao in May 2016. Mid selfie, the 126-year-old(!!!!!!!!) statue toppled over and shattered. Police arrested the guy as he tried to flee.Student Snaps Leg Off Statue While Taking Selfie
This is a truly stomach-turning story. In March 2014, a student tried to take a selfie sitting on the leg of a copy of the famous Drunken Satyr statue in Milan. But because statues weren't built to hold dumb idiots, one of the legs snapped off the 19th-century work of art. Unfortunately, the student made it out of the area without getting busted.Tourists Keep Turtles from Laying Eggs
In 2015, hundreds of tourists descended on the beaches of Costa Rica during the country's sea turtle egg-laying season and, duh, tried to take selfies with the animals who were trying to get in the swing of their centuries-old birthing ritual. Due to so many tourists clogging up the beach, the turtles couldn't lay their eggs, and now there are fewer turtles than there were before all of this selfie nonsense started.Selfie Seekers Break Hercules' Crown
In 2015, two tourists in Italy climbed on top of a statue of Hercules that was built in the 1700s and accidentally broke off a piece of the marble crown that sits on top of the statue's head.Pilot Crashes Plane Taking Selfie
Authorities have determined that a fatal plane crash near Denver in 2015 was likely caused by the pilot attempting to take a selfie mid-flight. The National Transportation Safety Board said there was footage of the pilot taking selfies on a GoPro recovered from the scene of the crash. The actual report read: "The GoPro recordings revealed that the pilot and various passengers were taking self-photographs with their cell phones and, during the night flight, using the camera’s flash function during the takeoff roll, initial climb, and flight in the traffic pattern."