Children, Teens, Families, and Mass Media : The Millennial Generation

This volume begins with a look at children's experiences with the mass media to ground the book in personal relationships to the mass media.

To understand the experiences, the book examines the children at various developmental ages and across generations.

It looks at the variety of effects that can operate due to children's perceptions at different ages including fear, aggression and sexuality.

Theoretical perspectives coupled with research on effects explain and predict how the communication process may occur.

Cultivation theorists, for example, look at the message with their yearly content analysis of prime time and they also look at the receivers or audience as they examine self-report surveys to compare light viewers with heavy viewers.

Concerned families and child advocates have worked to empower individuals in their use of television and the internet through legislation such as the Children's Television Act of 1990 and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. This text should be useful in several courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, including children and the media, media literacy, adolescents and media and possibly media processes and effects as well as special topics.