Selfie sticks are interesting devices – you get to capture more than a decent selfie – or even as a couple, with your smartphone camera, but on the other hand, they are not very welcome lately in various public places. For instance, the Emirates Stadium in the UK has a ban on selfie sticks, and so too, have museums in New York and Washington D.C. done the same. Having said that, another place in the UK has just announced a ban on selfie sticks – the rather solemn National Gallery, having deemed selfie sticks to be categorized under tripods, which have been banned “in order to protect paintings, individual privacy and the overall visitor experience”.
Just a quick description on what a selfie stick is – it happens to be an elongated pole where one can rest a camera or smartphone, so that you can shoot a better photo – with you staring right back at it, presumably. Selfie stick sales have shot through the roof in recent times, and happen to be a common sight over at hot tourist spots.
Art critic Brian Sewell has welcomed this ban over at the National Gallery, stating, “They are possibly quite dangerous to the artwork and cause appalling crowding around a painting. Anyone who actually wants to go and see a painting can’t because people are too busy taking photos. I’ve seen things in the National Gallery which make my hair stand on end.”
What do you think of the ban?