Making and Argument

So far in this lesson we’ve talked about why we debate and we’ve learned some basic vocabulary that we can use to talk about debates.

Then we went into some phrases some expressions we can use when we’re having debates to poke holes in a case or someone else’s argument.

Then we looked at a couple more we can use when we want to concede a point as a way to shift the focus away from maybe a weak point we have or make what we call a counterpoint.

Now we’re going to look at a real example.

We’re going to look at a debate topic and then we’re going to look at two sides.

And we’re going to see if we can actually use some of the things that we learned earlier on in this lesson.

So our topic will be video games particularly violent video games violent video games means video games with violence maybe that’s fighting maybe that’s killing for example.

And usually that involves blood or something rather rather horrible sometimes disturbing we could say.

The question is do violent video games have a negative effect on youth.

OK a negative effect.

That means a bad effect.

So when we’re talking about very young people like kids should they be allowed to play violent video games.

If they do well they’d be negatively affected or not affected.

And that’s the debate when to look first at the side that says hey actually this is a really bad thing.

We should not allow very young people to play violent video games.

Then we’ll look at the opposite view.

And again we’re going to try to use some of the things we learned early on in this lesson.

All right.

So this is the side that says yes yes video games have a negative effect.

Bad effect.

It goes without saying that children are far more likely to learn behaviors from their environment than adults or older teens.

It goes without saying that means it’s very obviously true.

If you want to say something is very obviously obviously true.

You can say it goes without saying that it goes without saying that summer is warmer than winter.

It goes without saying that children are far more likely to learn behaviors from their environment.

That means the things around them your environment is what’s around you from your environment than adults or older teens.

So maybe what we’re talking about here when we say youth are young people very very young people like children or maybe people in their early teens 13 maybe 14 years old.

So it stands to reason that if children are exposed to violent games at a young age they may begin to see violence as a solution to their problems just like it is in games.

OK exposed if we use the word exposed it means you’re around that a lot if you’re exposed to violence.

That means you see a lot of violence.

They’re exposed to very good things that means maybe you will begin to actually learn and do those good things.

We can say exposed to the sun exposed just means you’re around that.

Stands to reason is a way to say similar to this.

It’s obvious but it’s very reasonable to say this stands to reason is often a way to say it is reasonable that.

OK so it stands to reason it’s just a common phrase that we use when we’re having discussions making points and especially when we’re trying to convince other people to agree with us may begin to see violence as a solution to their problems.

A solution to your problems would be how you deal with your problems how you solve your problems.

Here’s a problem.

Oh if I just punch this person or kill this person that will solve my problem because that’s what I learned in games.

That’s what it’s saying here.

Just like it is in games because it is in games.

You have to kill the bad guys in order to win.

So the basic argument here is the rules of video games are kill bad people win.

And the argument is if kids play a lot of violent games then they’re going to see everything like that kill people win or do violence win beat people win.

OK.

That’s the basic point.

Here’s an analogy an analogy would be the way ink shows up more clearly on a white cloth.

So again we’re trying to help the audience or the other side very clearly visualize or see our point and we can use analogies to do that.

They have a white cloth and you drop some blue ink some red ink on the white cloth.

It’ll be very vivid on the white cloth if you drop it on a brown cloth.

It won’t be as vivid.

That is to say maybe young people children are more pure.

They’re pure.

And so whatever they are exposed to at a young age they will be very impacted by that.

It will be like ink showing up on a very pure white cloth.

It’s more pure so the effect is stronger.

Isn’t it true.

Remember this expression we used.

We want to ask the other side to say yes we want them to agree.

Isn’t it true that kids are more impressionable than adults impressionable means that they’re more likely to be affected.

It’s more likely that whatever they are exposed to they will do those things or be more likely to do those things.

Or it’s like saying the ink is going to show up more brightly or more vividly on the white cloth and there the white cloth very impressionable.

Oh I see everyone around me being very polite so I will do the same thing because I’m very young I’m more likely to do that.

OK hopefully all that’s clear this is I think a reasonable argument on one side.

Now let’s look at the other side and see how the other side deals with this argument saying that violent video games are a negative thing for very young people.