What price are you willing to pay for “likes” and followers? Well, Russian model Viki Odintcova is willing to risk her life for it.
The peak of irrationality?
Odintcova dangled herself from top of Cayan Tower in Dubai Marina earlier this month and filmed the entire process. She then posted the video on her Instagram page.
Odintcova got her 15 minutes of fame no doubt!
Unfortunately these extreme shots seem to have become a normal practice on social media and we keep seeing them every day. But, it looks like Ms. Odintcova’s stunt got her more than she bargained for.
Apart from the much coveted "likes", she now has a court summons to deal with.
Legal action
This week, Dubai Police Maj Gen Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, an assistant to the chief of police in Dubai, said that Odintcova "had been summoned to sign an undertaking not to repeat any dangerous moves that could endanger her life in Dubai".
But, it was Odintcova’s response that made things even worse.
Speaking to the The National she said: “We deserve a reward for disclosing weaknesses in the security of that building. We were at the rooftop of that building without any evil intentions, however someone else could have come out there to commit suicide or an act of terrorism."
Needless to say, her response didn’t go down well with many people, who took to Facebook to voice their opinion about the issue.
mic drop!
Another valid point
Do you agree?
But, this isn't the first time such photos have been taken in Dubai
A couple of months ago, I was browsing through my Instagram feed, and I came across this photo which shows a photographer/influencer standing on the edge of a skyscraper somewhere in Dubai while looking down on the city. I immediately felt uncomfortable just looking at the photo.
One has to ask...
What is the point of all this?
Seriously, what is the purpose of these life threatening photos?
If its creativity, then perhaps doing it without endangering the lives of others is one way to go about it. If the purpose is to influence and inspire people then it is being done in bad taste, here's why.
Paying the ultimate price for likes and shares
In 2012, a Russian teenager died after falling from a railroad bridge in Moscow while trying to snap a photo for his Instagram feed.
Another Russian teenager fell to his death in 2015 while attempting to capture a "dangling" photo of himself.
Influencers should be more responsible
Most of the people who take these extreme photos are called “influencers”, but what or who exactly are they trying to influence with these reckless and irresponsible actions?
One could argue that “they are free to do whatever they want”, which is true to some extent, but not when they have thousands of people, and young teenagers, following and possibly looking up to them.
With a great number of followers comes great responsibility. These Instagrammers should take note of that.
Tell us what you think. Do you think there should be a ban on these high risk photos or not?