Are selfie sticks’ days numbered? This seems to be the case when it comes to the American festival circuit. The NME is reporting that both the highly popular Coachella and Lollapalooza festivals have banned the divisive stick. The Lollapalooza website notes “GoPro attachments like sticks, selfie sticks & monopods” are not allowed. Coachella on the other hand cuts to the chase, clearly stating “NO SELFIE STICKS / NARSISSTICS [sic]”, also mentioning no drones, hula hoops and, uhm, stuffed animals.

South African festivals however, seem indifferent, with neither Oppikoppi, Rocking the Daisies, or this Easter Weekend’s Splashy Fen mentioning anything of a ban of the dreaded stick, although knopkierries are generally not welcome.

The NME states that the selfie stick is banned from a number of UK venues, including the O2 Academy Brixton, London's O2 Arena and the SSE Wembley Arena. A spokesman for the SSE Wembley Arena noted that although selfies are an important part of the gig experience, bringing a stick along might mean you are turned away at the door. Revellers were urged to rather “stick with the tried and tested use of an arm."

Fans of the selfie stick cite that the higher angle and extra field of view helps enhance self and group portraits, adding extra likes on photo-sharing site Instagram and Facebook.

Detractors of the device, however, are quick to point out that they find it difficult to think of the selfie stick user as anything else but a douche.