‘Jaws’ made people irrationally afraid of sharks, scientists declare
nypost.compeople’s fear of sharks is learned and influenced by popular media. “We’re not innately afraid of sharks,” she told CBS News. “Five-month-old babies were not afraid of sharks.
So it appears as though our fear of them is learned and socially reinforced.“What we find is that especially with popular media, it influences people’s attitudes and perceptions such that it exaggerates the danger that these animals pose,” Hancock said.
Most research has shown that sharks do not attack humans unless provoked or threatened. “In fact, if you do make a move toward a shark, they tend to go the other way,” Shark Lab director Chris Lowe told CBS News. “Your chances of winning Powerball are better than being bitten by a shark,” he said.
But despite the science that suggests sharks are not a serious threat to humans, popular media has convinced them otherwise.
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