Selfie Sticks: Yay or Nay?

A guest post by one of the clever ladies in our XX Internship Program for promising young women, Gaya K.

Since the invention of selfie sticks, people around the world have either embraced it or resented it and now even countries are taking their stance.

The selfie craze clearly isn’t going anywhere but due to the safety and respect for others privacy, the controversial stick has been banned in countries all over the world.

At the Wembley Arena and the O2 in London, entry is refused if you have possession of the illegal object.

In South Korea, selfie sticks have to be authorised as unlicensed sticks were causing other electronics to malfunction. Violators face either a fine up to $30,000 or a prison sentence.

A beach in the south of France established a “No Braggies Zone” where selfies are banned as they were found to be ruining the experience.

In America, there were reports of people taking pictures with bears and other dangerous animals, with their backs turned towards the animals, presenting obvious safety issues. Thus, in certain areas selfies have been banned.

In Mecca, people have been asked to stop taking selfies of their pilgrimage, which go against the Islamic principles of modesty.

In Pamplona, another man took a selfie during the Running with Bulls, forcing authorities in Spain to ban selfies during the event.

Even here in Australia, the Open Tennis saw the selfie stick as a distraction to players and inhibition to spectator views, causing it to be banned.

Besides countries, dozens of attractions have also banned the stick including the Colosseum in Rome, the Palace of Versailles in Paris, the NGV in Melbourne, football grounds around the world, the Emirates stadium and even festivals such as the Coachella and Soundwave. The list is certainly to grow over the next few months.

While I could see how people are worried about their privacy and how it has the potential to be a weapon, I’d be more worried about being teased by friends or even strangers. And although I’m not a selfie type of person, I’m sceptical that the selfie stick is going to cause that much harm, over other pressing issues (like guns for example). What do you think?