Television will be interactive, computers will provide feature-length motion pictures and TV programs, and information will be delivered like never before. Access to digital technologies is rapidly changing how children experience media, and how technologies will impact children’s development, and is making media an increasingly active gateway for experiencing and learning about the world. This volume considers how children use media today, and how new media is emerging and merging with existing technologies. The distinctive features of both older and newer media are examined, along with why these technologies are attractive to children and adolescents.

An interdisciplinary group of scholars from the fields of psychology, communication, sociology, and linguistics examine the effect of media experiences on children’s social, cognitive, familial, and consumerist experiences. Social policy implications of media effects are also considered.