'Jaws' impact may be wearing off as shark perceptions soften

I considered posting this in the Positive Wildlife News thread, but concluded this study might be of more general interest, especially to forum members like @Local_Shark.
------------------------------------

'Jaws' impact may be wearing off as shark perceptions soften

Teeth. Ocean. Predator. These are the three most common words used to describe sharks, according to a new global survey published in Wildlife Research, eliciting 1,000 different text responses.

Despite fear driving the responses behind two of the three most popular words, almost 66% of the descriptors were neutral, suggesting that public attitudes toward sharks are softer than the media portrays.

The international study, led by the University of South Australia, polled 371 people mainly from the US, Australia and the UK, asking them to describe sharks in just three words.

The research assessed more than 1,000 words, using a combination of methods, including word clouds and sentiment analysis.

Lead author, UniSA environmental scientist Dr. Brianna Le Busque, says fear was the most prevalent emotional response, followed by joy at around 17%. Two thirds of responses were classified as neutral, reflecting basic biological knowledge rather than strong emotions.

"The findings highlight that public perceptions of sharks are more nuanced than the stereotypical "menacing predator" narrative often seen in the media," Dr. Le Busque says.

"While fear was a common theme, we also saw a substantial number of positive words, like "majestic," "beautiful" and "fascinating." This mix suggests that while fear persists, many people also recognize sharks as ecologically important and awe-inspiring animals."

The study found that people's word choices aligned with their perception of sharks.

Participants who viewed sharks as high-risk were more likely to use descriptors such as "killer," "ferocious" and "danger," echoing the language frequently used in media reports.

Those who viewed sharks as low-risk used comparatively softer words, including "cute" and "misunderstood."

According to the latest statistics from the International Shark Attack File, fewer than 90 shark attacks occurred worldwide in 2024. This compares with 32,707 road deaths in the same year, according to the International Transport Forum.

Peter Benchley would be pleased.

Thank you much for the tag @SeaOtterHQ - this is truly uplifting to hear.
And yes, Peter Benchley would be extremely pleased to hear of it. He always said that his greatest regret was the negative impact Jaws had on the real-life shark populations, and even wrote a book later in life (Shark Life was the title I read it under) about his experiences traveling the world in an effort to learn more about sharks and the ocean and promote their conservation. I hope he’s smiling down seeing this.

It would be really interesting to do similar, contrasting studies with other large predators, and see if the use of words like 'majestic' for sharks is equal to those used for say, wolves and big cats, or greater. Might help with measuring how much of this change is based on specifics to sharks.

I think the big picture here is that education works. Ever since Jaws was released and had a devastating impact, conservationists, including Peter Benchley himself, have done everything in their power to educate the public about sharks. And now it seems we're seeing the results of it all. Indeed, Peter Benchley would be glad.

I think this is a great example of how much power we can have by shifting the narrative. Sharks are so cool, and it's great that people are beginning to realize that.

Another example of an animal that people have negative perception of is cockroaches, though not due to pop culture. I love cockroaches, so I tell people at the zoo I volunteer at how they are helpful in the production of vanilla, chocolate, and coffee.