Paris – It has rapidly become the favourite pastime of people the world over – taking a picture of yourself and plastering it over the internet for all to see.
From A-list Hollywood royalty to that funny-looking bloke down the pub, it seems many of us can barely go five minutes without whipping out our cellphones to grab a few quick frames.
Even US President Barack Obama is not above it all – famously posing with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt at the funeral of Nelson Mandela.
But now several locations across the world are moving to stamp out the craze with bans and fines.
The Garoupe, a popular beach in southern France, is cracking down on people constantly boasting about their holidays to friends back at home by working with mobile network, Three, to create designated “No Braggies Zones”.
A spokesperson for the beach said: “The Garoupe beaches are among the most glamorous and pristine beaches in all of France and we want people to be able to enjoy our exclusive beach in the moment, not spending the majority of their time bragging to their friends and family back home.”
The “braggie”, similar to the “selfie”, is a word that has wiggled its way into the popular lexicon, and is a term that’s been coined to describe the pictures of people enjoying a fancy cocktail, walking in the sand or gazing at a sunset.
South Korean authorities banned the use of selfie-sticks – short poles with a clip on the end to hold a cellphone which make it easier to take selfies.
In Saudi Arabia Islamic clerics have issued a warning against people taking selfies on pilgrimages to Mecca saying they “defy the wish of our Prophet”.
In Pamplona, Spain has a selfie ban that few could complain about. Last year a man attending the Running of the Bulls was fined $4 100 (R47 970) for taking a picture as he attempted to flee the charging bulls.
Selfies have been banned by organisers as a protective measure for runners navigating the streets as the animals charge behind them.
New York will become the first US state where it is illegal to pose for a photo with a lion, tiger or other big cat. The measure – which specifically prohibits contact between members of the public and big cats at animal shows – was passed after self-portraits with the animals started becoming more popular online.
In London voters who take a picture of themselves in the polling booth could be jailed. The Electoral Commission wrote to all returning officers involved in last year’s local and European elections to tell them the selfies are illegal.
People who tweet photos of themselves and their ballot papers risk breaching secrecy laws and face a £5 000 (R89 500) fine or up to six months in jail.
But campaigners have said the pictures, which could be nicknamed “boothies”, could have encouraged people to vote.
The phenomenon has been popular in the Netherlands and some US states where the polling booth selfies are legal.
Daily Mail