BSA303, reading, 2 November, 2017

Good intro text Television and Child Development by Judith Van Evra Synopsis Television continues to play a major role in the lives of most children and adolescents, but current research also reflects the explosive growth in new technologies and their widespread use by young people. Integrating information from communication literature as well as from child development and other psychological domains, author Judith Van Evra presents a summary and synthesis of what is currently known about the media's impact on children's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development, to help discern the complex and significant interplay between other forces in a child's life and the use of various media. This third edition contains updated and expanded coverage of research findings and a review of changing trends in media use including computers, the Internet, books and magazines, music videos, and video games as well as television. New chapters focus on basic research designs and methodologies; cultural diversity; health-related matters and lifestyle choices; media's impact on various social-emotional aspects of a child's development; the use of technology for information and for entertainment; and intervention possibilities, parent strategies, and education. An overall conclusions section at the end of the book provides a cogent summary of findings to date and stimulates discussion of questions and ideas for future research. Television and Child Development explores how, and to what extent, television and other media actually affect children, and what role other variables may play in mediating their impact, so that we can maximize technology's potential for enriching children's cognitive, social, and emotional development, while at the same time minimizing any negative influence. This text is appropriate for researchers, teachers, and students in communications, developmental and social psychology, and education, as well as in areas of advertising, leisure studies, family studies, and health promotion. Excerpt Research into the relation between children's television viewing and their cognitive, social, and emotional development has increased significantly since the second edition of this book and has confirmed some old insights and added many new ones. Television continues to be a major part of the lives of most children and adolescents, but current research also reflects the explosive growth in new technologies and their widespread use by young people. The digital revolution and the ensuing proliferation of DVDs, realistic video games, cell phones, pagers, and other wireless devices have introduced a level of flexibility, convenience, and portability only envisioned very recently. Technological advances have led to slick and evocative productions in which reality and fantasy are mingled and often indistinguishable. Many of the basic parameters in this exciting field of research remain unchanged; but newer research studies have raised some important questions about earlier findings and suggest new avenues and directions for future research. My purpose in this book is to present as current and complete a summary and synthesis as possible of what is already known about the media's role in and impact on children's cognitive, social, and emotional development and to discern the complex and significant interplay between other forces in a child's life and their use of various media. In this book I rely on information from communication literature as well as that from child development and other psychological domains and seek to integrate these diverse sources into a coherent conceptualization of the major variables operating in children's media experience. Much of the basic organization of the original book is retained in this edition, but there are significant changes both in content areas and in chapter organization. Research findings and changing trends in television content and viewing patterns are updated, and sections on new technologies and their impact are greatly expanded. Seven entirely new chapters include information on research methodology; cultural diversity, and stereotypes; health-related matters and lifestyle choices, including sexual behavior, drug and alcohol use, and nutrition and body image; media's impact on various social-emotional aspects of a child's development; and separate chapters on technology use for information and entertainment. Finally, an entire chapter is now devoted to intervention possibilities and . . .