Nagpur: The selfie trend has taken a negative turn in Nagpur and is tarnishing the city’s reputation. Prior to the C20 meeting, Nagpur, the Second Capital of Maharashtra, was decorated like a bride, and a large number of Nagpurians took to the streets to take selfies at the beautified locations. Excited citizens are capturing the beauty in their mobile cameras.
However, a video clip has surfaced, exposing the senseless and irresponsible behavior of Nagpurians. The video shows men, women, and children climbing the statue of the Great Maratha Warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and taking selfies. This selfie frenzy is not only disrespectful to the Maratha King, but it is also revealing the ugly side of the citizens.
People are flocking to every notable attraction along the roadside to take pictures. All roads lead to the beautified locations for selfies. This consumer habit is difficult to ignore and is being exploited by smartphone brands and many players in the mobile value chain.
Another video at the Nagpur Airport showed some over enthusiastic youths playing dirty games. A youth can be seen cart-wheeling a young girl and taking rounds of the Airport lounge for a selfie. Moreover, people around there were found enjoying the game instead of asking the youths to stop the nonsense.
One more video revealed the ugly face of people. As the people thronged the beautified places to have a glimpse and click selfies, a wordy duel and fighting erupted between some irresponsible citizens over parking of vehicles at the jammed places. The video showed a woman trying desperately to save her husband from being beaten by an angry man, apparently over parking of vehicles.
The obsession with selfies is not unique to Nagpur and has become a global phenomenon. However, this trend has led to incidents of disrespect towards historical monuments, cultural sites, and natural landscapes. In some cases, people have endangered their lives to get the perfect shot. As a society, we must recognize the harmful impact of this trend and promote responsible behavior. Public awareness campaigns, education, and social responsibility must be emphasized to reduce the negative impact of the selfie fad. Otherwise, this trend could lead to irreparable damage to our cultural and historical heritage.
