Recently a question has been posed to women all across social media: “Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man, or a bear? The response most users have given has painted a morbid picture of how violence against women is still incredibly prevalent.

This viral debate has created heated discussion all over the popular social media platform, TikTok. A common sentiment shared by women who have chosen the bear, is that a bear would not gain satisfaction from an attack, and that they know what to expect from the animal. Men, on the other hand, are less predictable, and therefore the more daunting choice, some argue.

Women have shared haunting statements in regards to the hypothetical situation. User haylz715 says, “no one will say I wanted to be attacked by the bear,” and, “a bear doesn’t understand no, a man understands it but just ignores it,” in a post that amassed over 14,000 likes. The comments on the post are even darker, one user stating “I wouldn’t have to see the bear every time I go home.” Another saying, “I was three… I’m choosing the bear.” @leviehnrd, said in a post that “women are choosing the bear because the idea of being stuck in the woods with an unpredictable strange man is more frightening than being alone with a predictable wild animal.”

With many choosing the wild animal, some have begun to realize how terrifying it is to be a woman. Another group, however, are opposed to the sentiment that a man is the more terrifying option, saying that women are confusing a “rapist or bear” with “man or bear.” Others have used the analogy, “one bad apple doesn’t make the whole tree rotten,” to describe their feelings on the situation. In response to this, users have stated that “most of the spider population is not dangerous, yet the fear of spiders is common.”

However you feel about the situation, one thing is for certain. Violence against women is real, and this question is a result of it. Even if you do not choose the bear, the fact that women live in fear of potential attacks is real, and can’t be ignored.

Junior Clara Walker says, “I know I’m like maybe supposed to say bear, and I agree 100% with the sentiments because I do get scared of men, but also, I have pepper spray, and an alarm, and a shank on my keys, and I fear kicking a bear in the balls wouldn’t do as much.”

Sophomore Lead Dudley said she would choose a bear. “They’re not capable of malice and they’re more likely to leave me alone unless they feel threatened. A bear wouldn’t ever want anything from me. I also fear bodily harm from a bear less than the violation and dehumanization that comes from any type of assault from a man, or any person.”

“I would much prefer to be alone with the bear. I think we could bond over our mutual love of salmon, and we would come to understand and protect each other. As for a man, there’s not as much for me to work with,” senior Aicha Beye said.

“When a bear doesn’t stop, it’s because they don’t know what no means. When a man doesn’t stop, he does. Bears would kill for hunger or instinct, while a man kills for power,” junior Sydney Harder says.

“For my own safety I assume every man is a weirdo,” sophomore Emily Nguyen said. “There are multiple elements and layers to how a man can hurt a woman that don’t exist when it’s just a bear attacking a woman. A man can do a lot more to you than a bear can.”