Exercise 37: “Why you should be worried” by Ms H Banter
View: Ms Banter discredits parents who neglect their children and let them play an excessive amount of computer games because they are changing the way they play and think.
Tone: provocative; assertive; adamant; dismayed; censorious. Ms Banter adopts an indignant tone to state that computer games are destroying family life.
Technique: Ms Banter draws upon her personal observations to support her view that children’s brains are changing. She also appeals to family values and tradition when she states “gone are the days” when families enjoyed their meals together. Accordingly, she instils both fear and a sense of panic in parents at the fact that children are becoming isolated and addicted to computer games and families are no longer communicating and sharing stories.
Technique and purpose: Attack: Ms Banter uses attacking tactics to scare parents (she casts aspersions on their parenting style) and reminds them of the consequences of computer addiction such as the “brain dead” syndrome. She characterises parents as reckless and irresponsible by suggesting that parents contribute to this syndrome by a lack of supervision and control. She maintains it is a form of “child abuse”. This is a very strong word to alarm parents and censure those who do not care enough about their children’s wellbeing. Not only does she scare parents but she thereby seeks to shame them because they do not show sufficient duty of care.
Word choice: She uses an alliterative phrase, “bling and blitz”, to highlight the fact that children are addicted to the entertainment value of games.
Technique: appeal to emotional wellbeing; family values and morals: “This is a form of child abuse”. This includes both fear and shaming tactics. The tone is: assertive; stern; judgemental and accusatory. Ms Banter shames parents who are guilty of neglect and who do not appreciate the long-term consequences. She hopes that they will recognize the folly of their actions. Such harsh and accusatory words also seek to exclude those parents who do not provide adequate opportunities for productive development.
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