Media and the Well-Being of Children and Adolescents brings together many of the field's most important scholars and media professionals to present cutting-edge theory and empirical research on both the benefits and risks to youth development. It examines the role that media play in the every-day lives of young people and their families, and considers both traditional media such as television and movies as well as "new" digital media, such as video games, cell phones, and the Internet. The volume is divided into four parts. Part One provides up-to-date trends on children and adolescents' access to media in the home, as well as the time they spend with television, computers, and the Internet. Part Two presents research that highlights the potentially negative impact of age-inappropriate or excess media use on children's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional well-being. Part Three offers examples of how media enhance children's education, health, and social connections. Part Four explores implications for the creation of high-quality, enriching content that speaks to the needs and interests of young people today. The volume's interdisciplinary perspective acknowledges the many controversies surrounding the effects of media on youth, and offers a balanced view of the challenges and opportunities that media represent for healthy development. The book is intended to be a resource for students and scholars working within education, developmental psychology, public health, and communication. Additionally, it speaks to media professionals who seek to create content that enriches the lives of children and adolescents.

Children, Adolescents, and the Media overviews what is known about the impact of mass media on youth in the 21st century. The goal is to provide a comprehensive, research-oriented treatment of how children and adolescents interact with the media. Each chapter reviews the latest findings as well as seminal studies that have helped frame the issues in such areas as advertising, violence, video games, sexuality, drugs, body image and eating disorders, music, and the Internet. The authors take an approach grounded in the media effects tradition, targeting areas that are most controversial and at the heart of debates about mass media and public health and equipping students to approach the media as critical consumers.

For the past several years, researchers have been examining possible causes of the rise in of childhood overweight and obesity in the U.S. Now at near-epidemic proportions, the time has come to really delve into the causes of overweight children and propose some practical solutions to help the 9 million children in this country who are overweight.

Taking an interdisciplinary approach, this special issue of "The ANNALS" inspects the social problem of childhood obesity from various angles and uses empirically based, creative suggestions for overcoming and preventing unhealthy lifestyles. The authors of this special issue include health care practitioners, social scientists, philanthropists, advocates, and policy makers who understand that this is a complex issue made up of a myriad of factors.

The insightful articles in this special issue evaluate the following factors:

Influence of parents Opportunities for exerciseAccess to healthy food choicesMedia influences