Introduction
Essay: Violent Media is Good for Kids
Main argument: Violent media is good for kids
Thesis: Violent media is good for kids because it empowers them, it encourages them to stick up for themselves and it helps them deal with rage.
Views of author Violent media is good for kids because it empowers them, help them deal with rage, and helps kid emotionally. Violent media does more harm than good. Marvel comics like Hulk allowed him to create a fantasy self to deal with rage. Tarzan and Power rangers help his son overcome his fears. He has worked with other people become more self controlled and leader through the use of violent media.
My views
I agree with the author, I think violent media is good for kids.
It empowers them, and encourages them to stick up for themselves
I see violence everywhere, on the news, in movies, in games, on Facebook, on twitter. From personal experience it doesn't make me or anyone around me, aggressive.
Some people believe violent media will encourage kids to be violent but MANY other biological and psychological factors determine whether or not a child is violent. Violent aggression is not solely depended on violent media
Opposing views
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All the heroes he mentioned only display violence toward villains or for the greater good but he never mentioned violent entertainment like Grand Theft Auto. In grand theft auto they steal cars, run over civilians, and shoot the police. Would this type of violent media help the authors son help “embolden himself for the plunge into preschool”(Jones) Does the reason for the violence change whether or not it’s good for kids? Hulk smashing people who try to hurt him can help a person stand up for themselves but does running over a civilian do 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
In his article “Violent Media Is Good For Kids,” comic book author Gerald Jones, claims that violent media such as comic books and cartoons can have a positive effect on our children because children use violent stories to meet their emotional and developmental needs. Jones argues against other people’s views that violent media will have a negative influence on children. Gerald Jones had many strengths in his article which helped support his argument and could possible make his argument effective. His strengths were mainly the use of emotional appeal like story telling and personal experiences to help convince his audience. While Jones’s essay started off strong, he only gave a few weaknesses like the lack of examples and how he only used one reference, his life, to justify his point of view which in the end did not help persuade the audience.
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.
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
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
The article of Gerard Jones, “Violent Media is Good for Kids” he tries to convince the audience, especially parents, that violent media is good for kids. He explains that violent media can be very beneficial to kids instead of harming them. Gerard Jones uses many literary devices to persuade the audience. He uses his own childhood experiences; he shares how he was, able to overcome his challenges or as Jones states in his article overcome “passivity and loneliness”. He also uses his son to continue to persuade the audience. He shares how his son used superhero’s identities to get through challenges he faced during preschool, kindergarten and first grade years. Other examples he uses is two different girls that also overcame childhood obstacle
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
From early childhood, parents, teachers, and other adults instill in us that violence is bad and unethical. We can all agree that we should avoid certain forms of violent behavior if possible; however, it is incorrect to assume that all forms of violence is bad. In his article "Violent Media is Good For Kids", Gerald Jones argues that "creative violence" such as gory video games, Comic books, and play fighting give children tools to master rage and actually help more kids than they hurt. What the author is saying here is correct because children use these types of influences in imaginary play at a young age,
The only part that I wasn't convinced about was the uses of different media types. He used examples of how comic books help kids get through situations like having a fear of climbing trees. He uses a lot of different examples that regard comic books ,and I think it was very clear that comic books are a great way to express your emotions weather it is reading them or writing your own. He also touches on how gangsta rap music helped a young girl get through a tough family life. In the end he only talked about two maybe three forms of violent media. That's why it was hard for me to be completely convinced , because I play video games a lot and he didn't even touch on them as a form of violent media and how they can help young
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.
Point 1 - The author makes claims that violent media is actually a good thing for children to be exposed to. Jones even goes into detail about how his childhood was saved by being exposed to violent media, while keeping him away from it was making him lonely. Jones says, “ They were good for me because they were juvenile. And violent.”,