Beware Of The Selfie

Love it or hate it, we are in the era of selfies. In this day and age, kids are getting smart phones before they can even drive. According to a 2016 CNBC article, the average age for a child to get a cell phone is 10 years old. Before turning 10, most kids are already efficient at navigating a smart phone from using their parent’s. Kids of all ages are addicted to taking selfies with their friends and documenting every experience — something they’ll probably be glad they did someday as this generation of kids will have more pictures to look back on than any other generation thus far.

Selfies Spread Something

Selfies don’t only spread fun times and create memories, they also spread head lice. This is a growing problem in schools. Kids often get real cozy with each other to snap that perfect Instagram-worthy photo and while it creates a nice picture, Instagram followers are unaware of the itching and crawling that occurred moments after the picture.

Head-to-Head

It’s no surprise that selfies would spread head lice since the number one way to get infested is through direct head-to-head contact. It only takes seconds for a head louse to crawl from one head to another and if they are already an adult louse, they can start laying eggs and infesting your poor little head. Kids bump heads and the lice start to spread.

Of course, someone has to have head lice in order to spread it but if a child or teen is unaware that they do have it, then selfies are a sure way to spread it quickly. So, next time your child takes a selfie with friends, tell them to think twice about getting too close to each other. The thought of head lice does not cross a child or teen’s mind when taking a picture but a little precautionary advice from you may be worthwhile. We know teens don’t listen to their parents’ half the time but at least you can say you tried. And if your child’s head starts to itch after a selfie, we hope they at least captured a good picture. Give us a call and we’ll treat that itchy head for you!