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Plugged In: How Media Attract and Affect Youth
Now, as never before, young people are surrounded by media—thanks to the sophistication and portability of the technology that puts it literally in the palms of their hands. Drawing on data and empirical research that cross many fields and continents, authors Valkenburg and Piotrowski examine the role of media in the lives of children from birth through adolescence, addressing the complex issues of how media affect the young and what adults can do to encourage responsible use in an age of selfies, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
This important study looks at both the sunny and the dark side of media use by today’s youth, including why and how their preferences change throughout childhood, whether digital gaming is harmful or helpful, the effects of placing tablets and smartphones in the hands of toddlers, the susceptibility of young people to online advertising, the legitimacy of parental concerns about media multitasking, and more.
Reviews
“Patti Valkenburg is a prominent scholar of media and children and one of the most prolific scholars of communication globally. Jessica Taylor Piotrowski is a rising star in our field and one of the leading scholars of the upcoming generation. Together, these two are a powerhouse.”
Dafna Lemish, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
“Screen media are among the most pervasive influences in the lives of infants, children, and adolescents. A cutting-edge and forward-thinking book of this sort is greatly needed.”
Heather Kirkorian, University of Wisconsin-Madison
23 April 2021
Project AWeSome Spring Webinar online
The project AWeSome team presented their research results in a Spring webinar. In case you missed it, you can watch the full recording here. 
22 February 2021
Project AWeSome Winter Webinar online
The project AWeSome team presented their research results in a Winter webinar. In case you missed it, you can watch the full recording here: https://www.project-awesome.nl/the-research
1 July 2020
New study by Project AWeSome published
Do social media benefit or undermine adolescents’ well-being? Many parents, health practitioners, and scholars are concerned about the question. A new study by Project AWeSome shows that the answer is not a simple yes or no: The effect differs from adolescent to adolescent. The study is now published in Scientific Reports. Free access to the full paper is available here.
Patti Valkenburg
Distinguished University Professor
Youth, Media and Society
University of Amsterdam
RT @sannewman: They say hippos kill 500 people a year but a lot of those people had comorbidities.
@bzelizer Congrats Barbie! 🌷
