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Why are we divided when it comes to the wolf?

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A social media researcher offers three possible explanations.

Wild wolf in West Jutland, Monday, 8 September 2025. The wolf was long considered extinct in Denmark, but returned from the south just over 10 years ago. Wolves may only be shot if they are classified as "problem wolves". (Photo: © Thomas Traasdahl, Ritzau Scanpix)

By Martin Seistrup Clausen ( [email protected] ) 43 minutes ago

The wolf divides Danes, and this is especially visible on social media, where the debate sometimes ends in personal attacks.

On Facebook, for example, you may come across comments like:

'We are in a country populated largely by unintelligent fools!'

'You place an unpleasant animal above your fellow human beings. You are a beast and should perhaps be treated as such.'

But why are we so divided?

Michael Bang Petersen, a researcher in social media at Aarhus University, offers three suggestions.

A listener tunes in during a speech by the leader of the Denmark Democrats, Inger Støjberg, at the Folkemødet in Allinge, Bornholm, Thursday, 11 June 2026. (Photo: © Sebastian Elias Uth, Ritzau Scanpix)

The difference between urban and rural areas plays a role in the debate.

There is a long way from Christiansborg and Copenhagen to the places in Jutland where the wolf is found.

And that urban-rural divide is one of the reasons why the battle lines have been drawn so sharply.

- The entire wolf debate is part of a larger discussion about whether politicians and people in the big cities show enough solidarity with those who live in the countryside, says Michael Bang Petersen.

He also points out that politicians use the wolf as a subject in the urban-versus-rural debate.

And that is his next point.

The opening of Parliament at Christiansborg in Copenhagen, Tuesday, 3 October 2023. The opening of Parliament marks the beginning of a new parliamentary year. (Photo: © Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix)

Politicians have a significant influence on public opinion. This also applies when it comes to the wolf.

- Depending on which politician you trust and have confidence in, you pay a great deal of attention to what they say, says Michael Bang Petersen.

And precisely on social media, it can make good sense for politicians to be visible.

- It can be a tool for a politician to speak harshly or without nuance in order to gain attention.

However, the professor notes that the harsh tone on social media – including from politicians themselves – can be a problem.

It is not always easy for parties to find candidates willing to run. And it only becomes harder when the tone is harsh.

- The long-term consequences could be that we end up with less competent politicians than we might otherwise have had.

Facebook and other social media icons on a mobile phone, Copenhagen, 22 July 2021 (Photo: © Signe Goldmann, Ritzau Scanpix)

The third reason for the sharply divided debate is that it is often people with very strong opinions who take to the keyboard on social media.

And that often leads to a very harsh tone.

- Those who are most inclined to throw themselves into the debates are people who are angry, says Michael Bang Petersen.

And the harsh tone is a huge problem.

- We want as many voices as possible to be part of the public debate, so that together we can become wiser. If large parts of the population then dare not participate, we get a less informed debate.

However, Michael Bang Petersen points out that it is a very small part of the population that contributes to the harsh tone, and that it is therefore not a general picture of the population.

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Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.