Christina Moss

UWRT-1102-031
November 24, 2014

Violence in Media Effecting Children

While I was shopping the other day at Bass Pro Shops, I was near the gun section and
there was a little boy about the age of four who said, Look mom this is just like the gun in
Grand Theft Auto Five. The age rating on that game is 18 and this little boys parents let him
play it. Another thing is that no, that is not just like Grand Theft Auto. It is an actual gun that
can really hurt people and the boy does not even realize it. The little boy thinks that guns are for
fun and games, but they are dangerous and could cause serious damage. What happens if they
got their hands on a real gun not thinking it can hurt someone, and accidentally shoot someone
with it? Things like that have happened before.
One thing that I do not agree with is how children in todays society know too much
about guns and weapons due to all of the media shown on television and video games. Gerard
Jones wrote an essay called Violent Media Is Good for Kids and in this essay he is talking
about how when he was little he did not fit in very well until he was introduced to The Hulk
because it helped him conquer his fears. Now Gerard Jones is a writer and he feels that violence
in media is good for kids because it helps them cope with their anger and helps them get through
problems in their life. Although I do agree that children should grow up knowing that violent
things do happen, I do not agree that violent media is good for them or that it should be in any
way a part of their coping process. I feel that if children grow up using violence to get through

things then they will end up using it for more serious issues later on in life resulting in things like
the killings we hear about on the news.
More parents should control the amount of violence that children watch and play. I
believe that children should watch more of the cartoons rather than the superhero movies with
real actors. Caroline Knorr, parenting editor for Common Sense Media says It's virtually
impossible to keep your kid in a violence-free bubble. Ninety percent of movies, 68% of video
games, and 60% of TV shows show some depictions of violence." Although I agree with this, I
still believe that parents could keep a better handle on what their children are exposed to. In
Jones essay he says that his mother allowing him to read the comic, The Hulk was good for
him but not because they preached lofty messages of benevolence like one of his mothers
students had convinced her of; but that it was good for him because they were juvenile and
violent. (pg 372) This is a big issue that I have because The Hulk and comics like it are
supposed to be about the heroes in the movies, not the violence that is in them. They are
supposed to teach children to be heroes and do good things, not how to be violent. If Jones
viewed the Hulk and other heroic comics in this way then so will other children. I am not saying
that all super heroes are bad influences, but if the one who is supposed to be the hero is using
violence to catch the bad guy then this is sending children messages that using violence is good
and brings good things to this world when in fact it does not.
Jones states, At its most fundamental level, what we call creative violence headbonking cartoons, bloody video games, playground karate, toy guns gives children a tool to
master their rage. (pg 374) The fact that they call it creative violence is just so wrong, but is
somewhat ironic in the sense that it sounds like creating violence which is exactly what they
are doing. Giving a kid a bloody video game or a toy gun when they are angry is almost setting

them up to be violent as they grow older. It gives them the idea that if they are angry all they
have to do is go shoot some people to clear their head or to make their problem go away. Bloody
video games are the worst because the children are the ones controlling what their character is
doing and they watch themselves kill a person and think it is fun. Sure video games and many
toys have age limits, but we do not have to prove we are that age to play them; it is just a
preferred age. Almost any aged child could get their hands on these types of media or toys. We
can go to any Wal-Mart and on every single isle of toys, games, movies or comics more than
90% of them include something that has to do with violence. There is almost nothing left for the
children to do that does not have violence in it.
All through Joness essay, he talks about how violent entertainment helps children cope
with their fears, aggression, and rage. He says he found that all types of people told him stories
about how they pulled themselves out of emotional traps by immersing themselves in violent
stories, (pg 373) but I think that there are other ways to cope with these problems. If people or
children were not exposed to this type of media in the first place, they would be forced to find
other ways to get rid of their rage and aggression. Children probably would not have these
aggression problems if they did not watch violent media. Violent media only feeds to their rage
by showing them anger and violence. When I was a kid, I did not watch any kind of violent
movies or have violent video games because my mom and dad did not show them to me. Now
that I am older, I still do not watch things like this because I am not interested in them. I have
never once tried to use violence to cope with my feelings either. If I am feeling angry, I find
other ways to get rid of my anger like talking to someone about it or taking a bath and listening
to calming music. Violent media is not something people need to express their feelings; there are
other things that can help people release these feelings and they work.

Another way of coping with these feelings could be going to therapy. Jones talks about a
girl who went a little too far when she would relieve anger with violent media. When adults tried
to control her, she would act out the roles of her angry heroes: breaking rules, testing limits,
roaring threats. (pg 375) She would act fights out on the playground and write stories about
people being stabbed. (pg 375) Therefore, he and the girls mother started helping her tell her
stories in different ways and said, She came out of it just as fiery and strong, but more selfcontrolled and socially competent. (pg 375) Jones did give the girl a form of therapy by helping
her so that she was not acting out at school on playgrounds or in classrooms when she got mad;
but some childrens parents would not notice that anything is wrong with them acting as if they
are in these movies. Most parents will say, Oh, theyre just playing when really the children
are angry about something and that is the reason they are acting this way and will not try to help
them. It would be better if the kids were not exposed to these types of violent media so if they
really did have an anger problem they could get actual help like therapy. Therapy can be
expensive and some people cannot afford it, but I am sure there are more, better, ways to help a
child with anger than to watch violent media and act it out.
I am not saying that all violent media is wrong, I feel like some of these shows or comics
can be good for the children because I do not think that children should grow up thinking the
world is all rainbows and butterflies. Violence is a part of our everyday lives and children should
know about it but who has to say that they need to learn these things through violent media?
Maybe parents or schoolteachers should teach children about it or show them the news and tell
them what they need to do in times of danger instead of buying children those fake guns and
knives. Obviously all kids who watch violent media and own a fake gun or knife will not grow
up to be a violent adult but there are studies out there that show violent media has long term

effects on aggression in children and short term effects on adults. In Jones essay he says, Im
not going to argue that violent entertainment is harmless. I think it has helped inspire some
people to real-life violence. (pg 375) I agree with this probably more than he does but I think it
is good that he knows this type of media can have some influence on peoples violence and
aggression.
Not all things about violent media are bad. It shows children that violence does happen
but the way they portray heroes and how they use violence to make things better is not a very
good way of showing them. If children think that doing violent things will make things better
then it is only going to cause more violence. There are also other ways to show children that bad
things happen in the world. Children should not need to express feelings using violence either;
there are other ways to get rid of anger. Violent media is not good for children in so many more
ways than it is good for them and there are many more ways to control these things. Parents
should pay attention to the age restrictions on these violent toys and video games because they
are there for a reason. Most of the children who play these games are not mature enough to
realize what is real and what is not. They do not realize that the good things that come out of
these heroes using violence are not so good and that all of the things that this media is teaching
them are illegal. Yes, they will learn that these things are illegal as they get older; but if they get
used to controlling their anger by expressing it through violent things they learn through violent
media like fighting, then they are going to continue to do it illegal or not. Again, I am not saying
that all children who grow up being exposed to this type of media are going to be violent when
they get older, but there is a much greater possibility than those who are not. This is why I think
that violent media is not good for children and I think that someone needs to do something about
it.

Work Cited
Emmons, Sasha. Is Media Violence Damaging to Kids? CNN Living 21 Feb. 2013. n. pag.
Web. 21.

Feb. 2013.

Jones, Gerard. "Violent Media Is Good for Kids."Reading Pop Culture: A Portable Anthology.
Ed. Jeff

Ousborne. Boston: Bedford/ St.Martin's, 2013. 372-377. Print.