The kiss that divided the internet. Photo / Instagram
The kiss that divided the internet. Photo / Instagram
What was supposed to be a declaration of love has instead been slammed online, with social media users deeming a couple kissing on a train as "dangerous" and "life-threatening".
Instagram couple Jean and Camille, from Brussels, posted a photo of themselves hanging out of a moving train in Sri Lanka to get a photo they captioned as "one of our wildest kisses".
The couple racked up 40K likes in three days for their train photo. Photo / Instagram
But instead of likes, the couple have received criticism and questions around the "dangerous" stunt.
While gripping onto the side of a blue train while leaning out for a risky kiss, the pair were travelling to Ella, Sri Lanka, when they allegedly posed for the picture while moving along a bridge through dense trees. According to reports, Camille's brother snapped the photo.
The Belgian instagrammers have around 173000 followers. Photo / Instagram
The photo, which has accumulated nearly 40K likes in three days, was quickly ripped apart by fans who were concerned that the Instagram-famous duo was promoting risky behaviours.
"And then they wonder why people die by trying to get similar pics …" one person commented on the controversial photo.
"It has nothing to do with (the) wilderness it's pure stupidity, I hope no one will die trying to do the same but if this happens it will be all on you!" another person wrote.
"Blind trust in the handrail, idiots," another person wrote, noting how the couple was hanging onto the moving train.
"Are you really ready to die for a pic ????????" one asked.
The kiss that divided the internet. Photo / Instagram
"Seeing your other photos, you don't need to risk your lives to get a shot. Not worth it," another cautioned.
The image was originally shared in April, while the pair were travelling in Sri Lanka.
Concerned about the dangers of other people trying to mimic the same shot, one social media user suggested commented on possible copy cat photographers.
"Problem is a lot of young idiots will try to repeat it now," the comment read.
The couple's risky photo comes less a month after another Instagram duo was called out for another risky shot while on holiday in Bali.
Kelly Castille and Kody Workman of @positravelty said they were not influenced by the negativity. Photo / Instagram, @Positravelty
Kelly Castille and Kody Workman of @positravelty shared a picture on their Instagram page which showed them kissing while Workman held on to Castille as she dangled from the outside of the pool in Ubud, above a significant drop.
Many of the American couple's 101,000 Instagram followers praised the stunning image but others criticised the couple, branding their stunt "so crazy", "stupid" and "terrifying".
Following the backlash, the two defended the questionable photo, claiming Castille was safe the whole time, and they "weren't going to feed into the negativity" of any criticism.
Kelly Castille and Kody Workman received negative comments for this 'dangerous' imagage. Photo / Instagram, @Positravelty
"We have received so much love, support, kindness and thoughtful messages from friends, family and our community. This is something we are very happy about, an aspect of this that we find ourselves immensely proud of," Castille, 33, and Workman, 32, told Fox News.
"Our account is about creativity, photography, kindness, perspective, and above all … positivity. Whether a photo does well or not, whether it is perceived one way or another, is irrelevant to us. We post what we love and what we believe showcases our happiness, our adventures, (and) our creativity.
"This has become a bigger deal than we could have ever imagined and we, going forward only wish to discuss positive things and the reality behind the photo."
The reaction to each photo feeds into the growing awareness around the risk travellers are willing to put themselves in for the perfect Instagram photo.
Earlier this month, Instagrammers Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolaus told Seven's Sunday Night what drives them to seek the world's most "extreme" selfies among the heights of some of the world's tallest buildings.
"It's really hard to explain, the … freedom, and, uh, it's adrenaline. It's, uh, something special. I feel heart beating. I feel my legs shaking, so … Yeah, it's incredible … incredible feeling."
The pair have climbed more than 500 buildings across Asia and Europe in search for the ultimate selfie.
In the case of Ivan and Angela, it also drives clicks (and advertising revenue) from their more than one million social media fans. Others, however, are ending up dead.
US tourist Gavin Zimmerman recently slipped and fell while posing for a selfie on a cliff south of Sydney. He posted one selfie to the internet before repositioning to take another.
The next moment, he was gone.
Tourist, Gavin Zimmerman fell to his death near Sydney, while posting selfies. Photo / Facebook
"I didn't hear anything for a half-hour … we said 'well he's busy', and that kind of thing," his father, who commented on one of his posts moments before his fall, told Sunday Night. "And then I said, 'I'll talk to you next week, bud. Love ya.' And then we get the knock on the door a few hours later …"
According to experts, it's all about the drive behind the need to stand out — and win "likes" — on Facebook, Instagram and any number of other social platforms.
"Around 80,000 images get uploaded to Instagram every 60 seconds," Dr Orlando says, "so there's massive competition. How do you get noticed? Well, you have to upload a photo people are really going to react to.
