Please, PLEASE ban Computer Games from school (‘Globe News’ – 2nd May 2015.

I strongly oppose the decision to allow students to play computer games during lunchtime at my son’s school.
Computer games are a threat to my son’s education. They are a menace and encourage malaise meaning that
many students will sink into a mire of de-motivation. How schools can allow this to happen is beyond me. If
teachers are concerned about standards, they will surely recognize this distracting techno-bubble gum for the
brain has no place in schools. Do they really want young people to learn at all?

School is not a paradise-like pleasure palace. It is a place of hard work, where students learn and achieve by
listening to their teacher. Computer games deaden the brain, allowing students to switch off and do their own
thing and the standards of their work will slip badly.

I am terrified that my son will not make any friends because he is playing games all the time out of school.
This will get worse if he is allowed to play games during break times at school. He will become isolated from
his peers and live a lonely life. He will never get along with people and become lazy and selfish.

When I went to school we didn’t have any of these gadgets and we survived and achieved. I remember one
student in my year level, who instead of studying, played pinball games at every opportunity. It was not at all
surprising to me when that student received poor results. It can happen to anyone and especially nowadays
when technology is so accessible and targeted at the young.

People who get along in life do not need gadgets to be winners. They listen and learn from their teachers.
Computer games will destroy my son’s chances of success in life. As parents and concerned citizens we must
work together to address the challenges this technological age rains upon our children, to ensure they are
encouraged towards success; rather than distraction from their studies.

Allowing computer games sends the wrong message to students. It says to my son: “Oh, it’s okay play a game
at school. We’ll work around it. Just do your own thing whenever you want. Don’t worry about your work: you
can do that later. Don’t’ worry about what we are trying to teach you. You’ve got plenty of time. Don’t worry
about learning to communicate with other people. Don’t worry about anything at all: just hook in and switch
off.”

I am appalled that teachers would ever contemplate allowing games into a school library, even when the space
has been designed to be flexible and comfortable. In the interests of my child, I beg teachers to ban game
playing completely.

Yours Sincerely,

B. Blank

Please answer the following questions in your workbook in full sentences:

1. What is the issue being described in this letter?

2. Write 1-2 sentences to describe B. Blank’s contention.
3. Who do you think is the intended audience for this letter? (Hint: at least 2 groups of
people.)
4. Choose two good words to describe the tone of this letter. Find two short quotes which
support your description.
5. List two arguments that the writer uses to support their point of view.
6. Use a highlighter to mark at least eight different persuasive techniques used in this
letter. (Use the list in your Student Resource to help you.) Write the name of each
technique that you have identified in your workbook, with a short quote for each one.