Critical Response: Exercise 2.8

According to Gerard Jones, violent media can actually have positive effects on young people because it helps them develop into people who are not afraid to stand up and take charge, and lets them immerse themselves in a world away from their own, which might not be the best place at a time in their lives. Jones also believes that violent media are a positive influence on children because it lets them vent out their natural rage. Jones makes some good points. For example, he says that his son was scared of climbing a tree at school. So he introduces him to Tarzan, a story full of good plot and a protagonist that is quite skilled in climbing trees. His son loved these stories and so decided to take after Tarzan and climb the tree. However, some children might take the messages of stories the wrong way, putting themselves too deep into a story and taking unnecessary risks, such as trying to fight off a wild animal they are no match against (this is an extreme example). They would only end up hurting themselves because they believed that they were strong like their favorite superhero. All in all, his essay is a very convincing one and I can most definitely agree that violence is not always a bad thing for young people, but beneficial.