I can picture it now: the chilling music from Jaws humming in the background, the iconic, pointy fin cutting through the murky water, a moment of confused silence, and then BOOM! The shark has once again proven how murderous it can be. However, in the article “Afraid for Sharks,” Isabel O protests that this well-known movie has caused a huge misunderstanding. From this eye-opening piece I learned that sharks aren’t nearly as violent as they are often portrayed.

In fact, humans inflict more harm on these marine animals they do to us. A person is far more likely to be killed by a toaster than a shark, believe it or not. Only five people die from shark accidents every year, but we slaughter 100 million of them. The growing hunger for their fins in Asia and their use in some cosmetics makes scientists think sharks will be extinct in 10 years.

Isabel makes the point that people only care about saving the cute animals, like pandas and polar bears, but sharks actually play an important role in our survival. It is necessary to raise awareness about the dwindling shark population, because it is interrupting the delicate balance of nature. I know that I have always seen the shark as the deadliest animal, a belief that was influenced by movies and new reports, but this article has changed my entire point of view. I applaud Isabel for being a voice for the endangered sharks out there, and I thank Teen Ink for continuously publishing inspirational and motivating pieces.