Today in society most adults and adolescents create the complex structure of what is socially correct. Violence has created an image in everyone’s mind, even if most people don’t agree. Throughout time we enjoy movies, news, video games, and books, however every subject I just mentioned contains to be violent half the time. By human nature everyone is socially handicapped, as we can relate this to the articles “Why we crave horror movies” by Stephen King and “violence media is good for kids” by Gerard Jones given to both authors get there points across by being precise, compelling, and knowledgeable.
King lives in Bangor, Maine, where he writes his best-selling horror novels, many of which have been made into popular movies. As a horror novel
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He later wrote comic books for marvel Comics and other publishers for several years. When jones was a young boy he was inspired by marvel comics, “they were good for [him] me because they were juvenile. And Violent”. (Jones 3). Jones’s article “violence is good for kids” argues that engaging in fantasy violence can have a positive effect in children. A disagreement or agreement can occur on the topic Jones brought up, but he clearly wants the topic to be educated well enough. I can agree that destroying a child’s imagination is horrible, therefore I would agree with jones’s appeal towards parents wondering what their kids should watch. Jones attitude in the article came off as influential, convincing, and determine, and an instance was were himself and concern parent helped the parents child to socially adjust, “she came out of it just as fiery and strong, but more self-controlled and socially competent: a leader among her peers, the one student in her class who could truly pull boys and girls together” (Jones 567). The way he expressed himself throughout the article was by being helpful in a way to explain the ideals of a child’s development assuming that violence transforms us to someone good. As for Jones, he also inputs his on personal experience of “the character who caught [him] me, and freed [him] me, was the Hulk: over gendered and under socialized, half naked and half witted, ragging a frightened world that misunderstood and persecuted him” (Jones 565). Although both articles can be compared by relating to the topic of violence media affecting the
The main purpose of the article written by Gerald Jones is to change the public perception of violent media for kids. He argues for this by saying violent media can actually have positive effects on young people because a violent media help the young people to gain self-knowledge and sense of potency through heroic combative storytelling. In addition to this, when young people are growing, watching a media action full pool of blood, killing, stabbing, screams of agony and pleas for mercy help them pull out of the emotional trap by plunging themselves into violent story. Jones also believes that violent media are a positive influence on children because pretend to have a superhuman power helps children defeat the feeling of impotent that inescapably
He soon finds a psychologist with a PH.D named Melanie Moore who explains children who watch violent films would express their feelings better. She has gotten her research by working with students in public schools. Jones then shares the entire journey they went on to find out is watching films is bad for children’s minds. Although he is sharing the journey, in the body paragraph he did not share with us anecdote. All the writer was writing about was statistics and the information that they found, there was no true story of what the students were saying about the films.
According to Moore, children need violent entertainment so that they are better able to express feelings they were taught to hide and convert those feelings into problem solving and social skills (79). I can personally relate to Moore’s statement because I have grown up with a little brother. Cartoons such as Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo and Power Rangers had a big impact on mine and my brother’s relationship. For example, I can remember after watching Power Rangers we would make up a game and pretended to protect the city, us being the super heroes that defeated the bad guy and saved the day! The violence created and presented in the cartoons that we watched enabled us to find a common interest between one another. I can’t help but think that those cartoons have also had the same effect on millions of other children around the
According to Gerard Jones’s “ Violent Media Is Good For Kids,” violent media indeed has a remarkable influence upon the minds and general growth patterns of children. Jones argues that violent media can actually have positive effects on young people.
The media is generally seen by people as a way of conveying the truth. If something is seen on TV, has been heard on the radio or something has been read in the newspapers then it is perceived as being the truth. Throughout history the media has been used as a tool to convey different messages to people. The issue of the behavior of children when exposed to violence on media has been an issue to be debated upon and studied for a very long time. There are many devices that children have access to of late which include video games, iPods, iPads, DVDs, computers and so on. Children are often said to be impressionable, this means that they do not see the world in the same way as adults do. Children tend to see things the way they are. They take things literally as they do not posses the sensibilities that are sophisticated to make a distinction between reality and fiction (Limit TV, 2010).
From infancy onward, parents and teachers have drilled into the young generation that violence should be avoided at all costs. They have preached cooperation, tolerance, and “using one’s words” as tactics to combat difficult situations. Although those lessons are valid, Gerald Jones claims there is an alternative way. In his essay, “Violent Media is Good for Kids,” Jones argues that “creative violence- bonking cartoons, bloody videogames, toy guns-gives children a tool to master their rage” (Jones). In other words, media violence, used correctly, can serve as an alternative method for powering through adolescence. By reading and writing violent stories, children are able to express
Television is the mainstream of our culture. Violence on television has been a topic of conflict since before 1950. There have been repeated debates on how to protect children from the harmful effects of violence on television. Television is one form of modern media that influences the everyday lives of people. Televised violence has a major effect on how children perceive the world and how they behave. "American television has become the most violent in the world. It is for this reason why researchers have focused their attention toward television violence" (Cantor & Hoffner 424-4-25). Children enjoy watching television and now with the increased technology of cable and movie
“Violent Media is Good for Kids” is an article which makes many claims to support the argument that a controlled amount of violence could be good for a developing child. Even though this article is controversial the claims serve to support the argument. Throughout the analyzing process logos, ethos, and pathos are searched for and scrutinized. The rhetorical strategies are what makes a paper effective or not. In this case the author uses, what I believe, is just the correct amount of each and fulfills his goal for writing the article. Although this article is written more as a story it still provides information backing up the argument.
Violent media; a strikingly relevant phenomenon millions are becoming captivated by. It’s everywhere you go, on your phone, the TV or on the computer. As much as people try to avoid it, they soon realize it’s ineluctable. Gerard Jones, a comic-book author, released a brief report, “Violent Media Is Good for Kids” that argued violent media is not only beneficial to children but also inspiring. He goes on to support his claim by sampling his own personal experiences. However, not all forms of violent media are necessarily helpful. Some are more preferable while others can harm them. To an extent, violent media can help children by helping them release built up emotions, learn lessons regarding the real world, as well as create something for themselves.
Violent Media is Good for Kids, by Gerald Jones; a persuasive article written by a comic book author that analyzes how exposing children to violent media has positive effects in shaping a person. This article was written as a counter-argument to the negative response media received after a horrific mass shooting that took place at a high school. Jones defends violent media by telling of his own personal experience with it, thus glorifying it in the process. Jones argues in his article that violent media is a helpful resource for children and it does not necessarily harm them. Jones’ argument was effective and very convincing. He defends his stance by continuously stating the positives that violent media has had not only on him, but his own son as well.
Common sense seems to dictate that, because the media today primarily focuses on portraying acts of aggression and violence, it has been seen that young children often mirror and imitate such actions. In the book Contemporary & Classic Arguments, Psychologist Melanie Moore and comic author Gerard Jones write an article titled, “Violent Media is Good for Kids” and examine this relationship between violent media and its effects on children. They state, “For the past three years she and I have been studying the ways in which children use violent stories to meet their emotional and developmental needs- and the ways in which adults can help them use those stories healthily.”(Jones pg.78) The essence of Moore and Gerald’s argument is that kids need this type of entertainment to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Not only does it make children vigorous but it also helps them develop: emotionally, intellectually, socially, and
According to Gerald Jones ""¦head-bonking cartoons, bloody videogames, playground karate, toy guns gives children a tool to master their rage." In a bid to further reinforce his assertion, Jones uses his own childhood as an example of how violent entertainment can benefit kids. In his opinion, "Hulk", a fictional character, helped him become more self-assured and confident. The author further points out that his son seemed to have overcome the fear of climbing trees after he (the author) read him Tarzan comics. In Jones' opinion, by shielding our children from all the violence in the media and denying them a chance to watch their favorite heroes, we could end up "confusing them about their natural aggression in the same way the Victorians confused their children about their sexuality." Thus according to the author, shielding our kids in the aforementioned way does more harm than good in the final analysis. Sometimes in 1997, Evan Ramsey, a student at Bethel Regional High School, carried a shotgun to school from where he went on a shooting spree. During the incident, Ramsey shot at four people killing two. Although the jury is still out on what really motivated the shootings in this case, Ruthus (2011) notes that Ramsey was an avid player of video games such as Resident Evil, Die Hard and Doom. Indeed, Ramsey as Ruthus points out was fond of playing these games for hours on end. What did these video games
According to Gerard Jones, violent media can have positive effects on young people. Violent media can help them to overcome difficulties and they can have a positive influence on children because the kids uses violent stories to meet their emotional and developmental needs. Jones makes some good points. One example that Jones gives is “Pretending to have superhuman powers helps children conquer the feelings of powerlessness that inevitably come with being so young and small.” (200). This example that Jones used to prove that superheroes helps this children with the superpower that they have is a weak statement because is biased. He is a comic writer. When he gives this point is creating more interest in his stories that he writes not necessary in the real problem that the children have. Also, where are the statistics that prove the ages and location of these kids
In the article, “Violent Media Is Good for Kids”, the author, Gerard Jones, begins by providing background information about himself. As a child, Jones was taught that violence was wrong, and as he grew up, he learned that violent comics and stories aided him to become an action movies and comic book writer. In his article, the author addresses why violent media are good for children. He points out that it helps them transform better socially, explore and conquer their feelings, and improves self-knowledge. Jones purpose is to inform readers about the positive use of violent media on children. The author uses rhetorical appeals of pathos and ethos, and stylistic techniques such as allusions and repetitions to create his argument.
In recent times, the news media has cried out against violent media, painting it as the leading cause for youth violence. Following events such as the Columbine massacre, news sources have vilified violent media, claiming that it is a primary cause of violent behavior in youths. This analysis provides firm research on the subject from the opposing and supporting sources, giving a thorough definition to the term “violent media” and brings forth evidence that other psychological effects and environmental factors are more significant causes of increased youth aggression than violent media.