On Instagram and Facebook, we see where others have gone and what they’ve experienced, but we don’t necessarily understand the risks.
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18 thoughts on “Link Between Social Media and Latest Hawaii Beach Drowning”
On Instagram and Facebook, we see where others have gone and what they’ve experienced, but we don’t necessarily understand the risks.
Hi!
Hope you’re both well…this is the first BOH I’ve rec’d in several months.
Thought you might be on an extended vacation.
Glad you’re back.
Lynn
Hi Lynn.
Thanks for touching base. BOH publishes daily with only rare exceptions. We don’t know what the issue night be if you aren’t getting our emails. Let us know if we can help.
Aloha.
Stealing of beachgoers’ belongings is not “a virtually unheard-of Hawaii event.”
Purses, backpacks, and carry bags (sometimes with your keys or wallet inside) are regularly snatched off your blanket while you are in the water.
Never leave anything unattended unless you desire to lose it.
Theft has been on the uprise in Hawai`i.
I am surprised at Electric beach being so dangerous. That was our family beach when we lived in Makakilo. My Dad worked for Hawaiian Electric at Kahe point in the 1970’s. We swam there often with no problems. There were picnic tables and we would bring our lunch or dinner there. The last time is went to Electric beach was in 2019 and it was all gone no picnic tables or anything just beach. Whether that’s good or bad depends on your prospective. The ocean has to be respected no matter if you are in Hawaii, Florida, Maine or anywhere.
There is no demonstrated correlation between social media and drownings in Hawaii. In fact, since 2001, the incidence of drownings in HI (reported by the Hawaii Department of Health as number of drownings per 100,000 population), has remained the same. Not what one would expect if the explosion of social media over the past decade were in any way contributing to the problem.
Want to know what two variables actually Do correlate with drowning rates in HI (according to the DOH)? 1. Male sex (five times higher than females) and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander ethnicity (eleven times higher than other ethnic groups).
It makes more sense to target males and Native Hawaiians with water safety programs, and leave the Instagramers alone.