Video Games: A Cause of Violence and Aggression

This article uses language tools very well. The second sentence in the first paragraph reads, “Affecting children age 4 all the way to 45 year-old adults, these video games have called for concern in our society regarding issues such as addiction, depression, and even aggression related to the playing of video games.” The key phrase in this sentence is “age 4 all the way to 45”, which is poetic language (the two 4’s sound good together and are easy to remember) making it sort of a hyperbole because it is not supposed to be taken literally.

Descriptive wording is another tool used by the author to create vivid images and therefore captivate and persuade the audience. The phrase “bloody, shoot-'em-up video game” in the second paragraph is a perfect example of this. It brings a certain unwanted image into the audience’s mind and therefore makes them want to do something about it.

The words “interactive and engrossing nature” in paragraph six naturally create a negative idea about video games in the audience. If the author had simply said “interactive and captivating” or “enchanting”, then the audience would have had an entirely different perception.