Violent Media Is Good For Kids By Gerald Jones

Violent media can help people conquer their fear and make them courageous. Jones argument is very effective and convincing because he gives good examples of the positives that violent media has done not only for him but also for his son. Jones explains how violent media can help kids overcome their fears and passiveness. For instance, Jones says that his son was scared of climbing a tree at school :“But he was afraid: of falling, of centipedes crawling on the trunk, of sharp branches, of his friends’ derision” (6). He later describes reading Tarzan to his son to help him get over his fear of climbing a tree. As a result of the Tarzan comics, his son got inspired and courageous and started climbing trees. He argues that not only do super hero stories tend to help kids overcome their fear, but also makes them courageous. According to Jones, violent media is good for kids because it helps them become courageous and also lets them immerse themselves in a world of their own.

It is a matter of great importance how much of media content children are exposed to and what exactly they are viewing on media. The issue of violence is not a new phenomenon among children and keeps increasing with time and change in technology and information technology. The causes of violence in children are seen to be multifactorial and exposure of children to media violence is said to be an important factor when it comes to the etiology of behaviors that are violent among children.

Jones acknowledges these points. However, he refutes them by saying that “it’s helped hundreds of people for everyone its hurt, and it can help far more if we learn how to use it” (Jones). In other words, when we channel violent media into heroic battles of good versus evil, it can empower a child in need. This rebuttal contributes to the objectivity of the essay. It shows that the author did his research so well that he can recognize opposing viewpoints and refute them.

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.

Jones uses personal stories to relate his argument to his audience. I believe Jones’ targeted audience are parents that are skeptical about exposing their children to violent media and society as a whole. Society’s stance on violence is a negative one and many are conditioned to be opposed to it. Many of my beliefs, even prior to reading this article, go hand in hand with Jones contradicting a popular belief stated by the World Health Organization, saying, “laws and policies that make violent behavior an offense sends a message to society that it is unacceptable (World Health Organization).” Jones’ goal is to reach an open-minded audience and persuade an older, more traditional audience to adopt a new view. I speculate that this article would not be effective against the majority of people opposed to these views, simply because it’s so contradictory to common belief.

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

In “Violent Media is Good for Kids” Gerard Jones introduces us to his fearful and lonesome childhood. He lived in a world where he was taught to be the violence fearing, and passive boy his parents wanted him to be. But, when one of his mother’s students gave him a Marvel comic book, his fearfulness was transformed into inspiration. He found a way to escape these discouraging feelings through the “stifled rage and desire for power” (Jones 285) that he had newly found. The popular comic book hero “The Hulk” freed him from his passive and lonely persona. Throughout the article he cites his testimonies and the testimonies of others as examples; and shows how they used violence as a positive realm for “overcoming powerlessness.” (Jones 287)

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 our class book Practical Argument, I chose “Violent Media is Good for Kids” by Gerard Joneson page 36. In this article Jones states and tries to prove that violent media is undeniably good for children. He challenges this by saying what he believes also how he grew up too passive because he was sheltered from the media. Upon hearing that the media has "lofty messages of pacifism and tolerance" (par.2), his mother had borrowed some comics for him to read. After reading the comics, he said that he followed Hulk for a while then switched to "more sophisticated heroes", in (par. 3) and "finally found my own lead along a twisting path to a career and an identity." (par. 3) Later on, his son

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.

The article on violent media is good for kids By: Gerald Jones was a fantastic article. In the article Jones talks about how certain forms of violent media is good for children. There are all a lot of points that go with his statement, or go against it. In this paper I will be talking about Jones’s ideas and point of view on his article.

Since the evolution of pop culture in America, the introduction of violent media to young, impressionable minds has been inevitable. As a child ages, they gradually adjust in response to their environment. Accessibility to media, or lack thereof, significantly shapes a child’s character no matter the generation they come from. If adolescents are only familiar with rainbows and sunshine, they will never be able to face the harsh truths of reality. Society teaches kids to fear and bottle up feelings of violence and the emotions associated with it, instead of expressing it in a healthy way. This is ultimately not the way to achieve world peace. Nevertheless, ignorant adults attempt to shelter youths from this potential outlet without thoroughly understanding its benefits. American writer, Gerard Jones—famous for his comic book and nonfiction writing—has developed a compelling perspective on this topic from his cloistered childhood, exhaustive research, and parenting role. In his essay, “Violent Media Is Good for Kids”, Jones proves that exposure to violent media is necessary to prepare children for the real world.

Regardless of what anyone thinks, violent media is said to be good for children. People always think that violent media can lead to or will lead to violence from children, but some research has shown that it might not necessarily true. In Gerard Jones’ article ‘Violent Media is good for kids’ he says that “Research has found that every aspect of even the trashiest pop-culture story can have its own developmental function”. I disagree with this ideology, but I do understand how Jones may think it is helpful. In Gerard Jones’ article ‘Violent Media is good for kids’ he says, “The dual-identity concept at the heart of many superhero stories help kids negotiate the conflicts between the inner self and the public self as they work through the early stages of socialization.”; Furthermore, he goes on to say “Identification with the rebellious, even destructive, hero helps children learn to push back against a modern culture that cultivates fear and teaches dependency.” meaning “children can actually gain some benefit from reading or watching violent and graphic media when it comes to the socialization of today’s youth”. Individuals should be aware of the effects of violent media on children, the possible ‘benefits’ on the children’s anger management, and the aggressiveness any negative media causes on our youth.

"Impact of media use on children and youth” explores the good and bad effects that media can have on a young child’s development both mentally and physically. In the beginning of the article, they provided examples of how watching television can expose young children to violence, sexuality, and offensive language. The author made an interesting point that connected an increase in violent behaviors with children who watch violent