Violent Video Games Are Not the Problem
Violence in the media has been a long concern and a controversial topic in society, but why should one worry about an armed animation when they can worry about their armed neighbor? "Real Violence, Not Video Game Violence, Poses the Real Threat to Children", is an article located in a financial advice website known as CBS MoneyWatch. Constantine Von Hoffman, the author of the editorial, discusses the fault in focusing on the United States' resources on solving a problem that does not exist. He ridicules the attempt at passing a law to ban the selling of violent video games to California's youth as he argues that these games do not put children in harmful situations. Individuals interested in this law are the target audience of this article. Those individuals include concerned parents who fear influential violence on their children, as well as politicians in favor of the law. On the other hand, those who oppose the law, such as video gamers, may also be interested in such text. Through the text's tone, and appeals to ethos and pathos, Hoffman successfully convinces the reader that violent video games should not be considered a problem in society.
A mocking tone is effectively expressed in Hoffman's writing through diction and level of formality. The author closes the first paragraph with the statement, "California law to ban selling violent video games to kids had to go to the Supreme Court to be ruled stupid." By ridiculing the attempt to pass this law and calling it "stupid," the author teases those behind the bill and attracts the attention of those who oppose it. After asking a rhetorical question about whether video game violence or real-life violence is more harmful to children, Hoffman scornfully reveals the simplicity of the answer by stating, "The science is so overwhelming on this even Justice Antonin Scalia could see it." The usage of such a sarcastic tone in the text persuades the audience into believing any human with a sense of logic will see no harm in violent video games. While this is not explicitly stated, through the article's tone, Hoffman expresses his attitude toward the subject and efficiently impacts the opinion of the audience.
In addition to tone, the author is also able to influence the audience's views on this controversial topic through appeals to ethos. "Psychological studies purporting to show a connection between exposure to violent video games and harmful effects on children do not prove that such exposure causes minors to act aggressively," Hoffman quotes. He includes this statement by Antonin Scalia, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, in order to persuade the reader through appeals to ethos. Moreover, his credibility rises as one notices how he has done some research about the US economy, where he states, "California is facing a $12. 2 billion budget deficit within ten years. Perhaps if they had spent less time distracted by vi...
