Just when you thought 2017 had hit peak millennial, it turns out you can add injury to insult thanks to a brand new epidemic: the ‘selfie wrist’. Following four cases in one week alone, medical professionals are warning against taking excessive selfies, not because it inflates egos the world over (though it definitely still does that), but because of the increased risk of injury. University College Hospital Galway treated multiple patients suffering ‘distal radius’ – a broken wrist – triggered by none other than the bizarre human propensity for Snapchat dog-ear filters. Doctors who were unlucky enough to deal with these calamities recorded their findings in the June edition of the Irish Medical Journal (probably following several facepalms). They cite a lack of spatial awareness as the main cause: when your attention is focused on getting a flattering crop and edgy background for yet another #ootd shot, you’re much more likely to lose your balance (and your dignity). The moral of the story? Take fewer photos of yourself atop a flight of stairs / pub / balcony / crowded street / road crossing / shopping centre / dancefloor / pretty much anywhere. Believe it or not, the world will keep turning.
