It’s no secret that social media can sometimes prompt people do foolish things. More and more, the prospect of instant notoriety, or even just a lot of Facebook likes, seems to be too strong a lure for many, especially young people, to resist as they engage in increasingly outlandish behavior.
Take the case of Fazal Shaik. The 24-year-old was recently arrested for “wildlife offenses” after he posted a photo of himself standing on top of a 120-year-old giant tortoise at a zoo in Hyderbad, India. He freely admitted to authorities that he jumped the tortoise’s enclosure and posed for the photo because he wanted to “put it up on Facebook so I’d get a lot of likes.”
There is no word yet if the plan worked, though he is getting plenty of attention from the international press for his actions. He faces up to six months in prison if convicted. Fortunately, it appears that the tortoise was not harmed in the making of this selfie.
