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Analysis Of Violent Media Is Good For Kids

Decent Essays

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. 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. Through the use of pathos, ethos, and logos, Jones explains the validity of his claim. He introduces his article by retelling a story from his childhood. He describes being misunderstood, lonely, and unable to effectively express his emotions. This portion of the article appeals to emotion, utilizing pathos as his tool. With this feeling of being an outcast, Jones found refuge in relating to a comic book character, the Incredible Hulk. This allowed Jones to have, as he describes, “(a) fantasy self which was a self: unafraid of his desires and the worlds disapproval, unhesitating and effective

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