Patti Valkenburg

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 August 2022

Project AWeSome in New York Times

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In a New York Times article Matt Richtel writes about depression and anxiety among adolescents and how social media affects this. The article mentions Project AWeSome's research to argue that some adolescents are more vulnerable for the influence of social media then others. Read the New York Times article

5 July 2022

Patti Valkenburg guest on TV program Nieuwsuur

On 4 July Patti Valkenburg was invited as a guest on the current affairs program Nieuwsuur, where she was interviewed by Mariëlle Tweebeeke about 15 years of social media and how social media are affecting youth (in Dutch).

A more extensive interview was published on the Nieuwsuur website (in Dutch).

The Nieuwsuur broadcast can be viewed below.

21 June 2022

Special issue of Current Opinion in Psychology edited by Patti Valkenburg et al.

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The June edition of Current Opinion in Psychology (Volume 45) is a special issue on Social Media and Well-being. It was edited by Patti Valkenburg, Ine Beyens, Adrian Meier and Mariek van den Abeelen and contains 26 excellent reviews by over 50 authors.

2022 Best Published Article award for ICA-CAM

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The article "Just a Joke? Adolescents’ Preferences for Humor in Media Entertainment and Real-Life Aggression", published in Media Psychology has been awarded the 2022 Best Published Article award from the Children, Adolescents, and Media Division of ICA. The article was lead-authored by Amber van der Wal and co-authored by Loes Pouwels Jessica Piotriowski and Patti Valkenburg.