Book Review: Killing Monsters
Book thirty-three in 52 books in 52 weeks.
Violent games, movies and comics are good for children according to the author of Killing Monsters, Gerard Jones, and blaming it for problems can affect emotional development. I’m not sure about the being good for children part, but he makes a good case for the importance of this type of thing while they are growing up. His biggest reason is that fantasy in media is a safe place for kids to learn how to deal with violence, fear and the emotions that go along with it. When they encounter these types of things in real life they’ll be more emotionally prepared.
So Halo is basically a vaccine for the bully they’re sure to encounter some time in their life.
He also takes time to show how ridiculous studies are that tie violent media to actual violent children. Violence for children and violence for adults aren’t exactly the same thing, it doesn’t have the permanence to children that it might to adults. And playing a violent video game may help a child understand that they can have some control over violence and it doesn’t have to be something that overwhelms them. It may be more important for us as parents to ask our kids why they like certain things in video games or movies rather than assume if it’s violent our children could only like it for that violence.
The book has plenty of analysis and study in it, but at times the Jones focuses too much on his own experience, which I dont’ really care about. There is plenty here to back up his ideas, but I’d rather have more of that and less of what he thinks about it. Of course the book is more interesting with his personal views, so maybe they traded a dry scientific book for something a little more intersting with analysis and facts mixed with personal anecdotes.
I already shared many of his views, but it was still interesting to read.
Other people reading 52 books
- Jaime reviews Wikinomics by Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams
- Heliologue reviews The Bellmaker by Brian Jacques
- Nick reviews Considering Genius: Writings on Jazzby Stanley Crouch
My other reviews in 52 weeks
I love reading your blog Jeremy! I’m near addicted. We need to chat more at family parties…turns out we have a lot in common! Now I have to go read this book. thanks for another one on my list.
But the purpose of the blog is to let people know what’s going on so I don’t have to talk to them. I’ve failed!!!!
Just kidding.