Death By Selfie

A suicide note is the traditional explanation to committing suicide. Traditional? Yes, the word is inappropriate here because it applies to social circumstances like the bride wears white in Europe or red if the wedding is in Asia.  

Libation is another example. It is traditional in Africa to pour a drop of African beer on the ground before you drink it.  It is for ancestors, a tradition that survived slavery because some African Americans still do it.

Suicide is intentional. Suiciders (new word?) take their own lives because they feel they have come to a dead end after considering all options to delete problems in their lives. Nothing new there. Life is problems. 

It is intentional because suiciders (new word?) take actions guaranteed to kill them. They no longer leave a note before hanging themselves, taking an overdose or drinking poison. They take dangerous selfies, but that is subjective.  What looks dangerous to you, is exhilarating to them.  The intention is to die, to go viral, to become digital legends.

The selfie as the new suicide note manifests itself in many scenarios: skate boarding, skiing, scaling tall buildings, taking photos with lions in the background etc. Tragic? Far from it. Mission accomplished. Death by selfie was the intention.

Which leaves us with another tradition.  Do we say Rest In Peace (R.I.P) or Roast In Photo Call?

By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.