Social Media

This chapter presents the latest scientific research on the role of social media in teens' lives. Never before have the youth had so many opportunities to bring their self-presentation to perfection. They can, for example, endlessly edit their digital profiles and selfies before they post them on the Web or send them to friends. Does this ability make them more self-aware? Or does it turn them into narcissists? Does the use of social media lead to superficial relationships and loneliness—or does it boost self-esteem and social skills? What effects does extensive media multitasking have on youth? Does it make them lose their ability to concentrate and contemplate?

Digital Games

Digital games were once considered the domain of a small, clearly defined demographic of young men. Today, however, they are a mainstream pastime for young and old, male and female. Why do we play digital games? What makes them deeply attractive and, for some, seriously addictive? How have games managed to occupy such a significant share of our leisure time? Do games affect us, and if so, how? Do they, as some suggest, positively influence spatial skills and, perhaps, intelligence? Or do they, as others fear, hinder our physical and emotional development? And if these effects occur, for whom do they occur? These key questions of game studies, a new research field concerned with the use, appeal, and effects of digital games, are addressed in this chapter.

Media And Education

This chapter focuses on the positive effects of educational media—media designed to support youth's development. Today, there are more platforms for educational media content than ever before. And while researchers have long identified the effectiveness of educational television, the potential for other educational platforms is still being understood. The chapter begins with a brief account of the history of educational media, along with statistics on the use of educational media in the family. It then discusses several effects of educational media content. For example, does educational content stimulate academic skills, such as literacy and numeracy? Can it facilitate social-emotional learning by promoting characteristics such as empathy, willingness to share, and self-regulation? And can it help children be more imaginative and creative? The chapter concludes with a discussion of future directions for the field of educational media.

Adolescents

The spectacular changes in the human body and brain during the period of adolescence have a huge influence on adolescents' behavior and their interest in media. This chapter considers these developmental processes in order to understand how best to appeal to younger and older adolescents. What, for example, interests young teens (ages 12–15) and how does this differ (or not) from what interests their older teenage peers (16–19)? What specific developmental characteristics typify these age groups, and how do these characteristics influence their media use and preferences? Why do teens enjoy sarcasm and fast-paced, humorous banter in media? Why do social media have such a “Pied Piper effect” on adolescents? And finally, how does teens' developing autonomy influence their media preferences?

Media and Emotions

This chapter takes a look at how entertainment media can evoke powerful emotions in youth (as well as adults). How is it that entertainment media can make children and teens fearful, agitated, and even sad—all while they know they are seeing fictional content? And does the experience of emotion differ across childhood, or is it, perhaps, more universal? To answer these and other questions, the chapter reviews key theories on emotion and discusses the role of child development in the experience of media-induced emotions, using fear as a case study. Finally, it reviews the tragedy paradox: why do we often enjoy watching horror movies and tearjerkers even though they make us feel afraid or sad?

Themes and Theoretical Perspectives

Not all youth are equally susceptible to the influence of media. Yet despite this truth, the idea that media and technology have large effects on all children and teens often prevails in contemporary discourse. This chapter reviews media effects theories from the early twentieth century onward. It clarifies what we do and do not know about the influence of media on youth. When are media effects large, and when are they small? And what do “small” and “large” effects mean, exactly? And which children and teens are especially susceptible to media effects, and why?

Then and Now

In the past, children were not considered children in the sense they are today, and if they could read, they read books for adults. This changed gradually after the publication of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's influential book on child rearing, Émile, ou De l'éducation, in 1762. As society's ideas about childhood and parenting began to shift, so did our ideas about which media are appropriate for children. This chapter describes how society's ideas about youth and media have been subject to swings of the pendulum since the seventeenth century. In addition, it compares the current generation with previous generations. Why are children and teens more self-aware and intelligent than ever? Why has youth culture become so dominant in society? Why do children display adult behavior at younger and younger ages? And lastly, what is media's role in these developments?

Youth and Media

This chapter begins with a brief review of the changes in the media landscape, including the development of new media, the repurposing of traditional media, and traditional TV advertising's loss of its dominant position. It then discusses the increased academic interest in youth and media. It details the evolution of interdisciplinary research on youth and media in the last few decades. It identifies social trends have contributed to the dramatic growth of the academic interest in youth, three of which have played particularly impressive roles. These are the commercialization of the media environment around youth; the development of media for the very youngest viewers, children between one and two years old at the end of the 1990s; and the advent of social media at the dawn of the new millennium. Finally, the chapter considers the public debate surrounding youth and media.

Media and Parenting

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of studies ask whether and how media affect children and teens. These studies show that media use can have a positive or negative influence on how children and teens think and behave. But media use does not occur in a vacuum. Many forces can influence media effects on children and teens, including their developmental level, dispositions, and environment. This chapter homes in on the environment by focusing on the power of the parent. It discusses how parenting styles differ and what many consider as the most effective form of parenting. With this in mind, it discusses media-specific parenting for different age groups, highlighting specific media-related issues that parents are faced with as children get older. For example, should parents allow their youngest children to use media? How can parents prevent or mitigate the negative influences of violence in the media during childhood? Why is it so difficult to get teens to put down their cell phones? And what can be done about it?

Media And Violence

Media violence and its effects on aggression is one of the most heavily investigated topics in the field of communication. Every time a child or teenager committed an act of violence in recent years, the debate about the effects of media violence on aggression flared up again. Can children and teens indeed become aggressive, or even criminal, from seeing violence on television, in movies, or in games? And if so, are some children and teens particularly vulnerable to media violence effects? This chapter reviews the latest findings on the effects of media violence on aggression and criminal behavior. It first discusses key studies that investigated the effects of media violence on aggression. It then discusses the most important theories of why and how media violence may stimulate aggression. Finally, it reflects on how and why some children may be more—and others less—susceptible to media violence effects.