Read the paragraph. Violence in video games is essentially to blame for violence in our society. When children are bombarded with monstrous images, they begin to think that these types of actions are normal or acceptable. Children and teenagers are spending excessive numbers of hours playing video games, and they may begin to use them as a guideline for how to act and behave. Even if they do not perform violent actions, they may become less sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others because of what they see reflected in these games.

Which phrase best explains the kind of words the writer uses to affect the reader?