Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Part I. Historical, conceptual, and financial underpinnings of media

Historical and recurring concerns about children's use of the mass media / Ellen Wartella and Michael Robb

Business models for children's media / Alice Cahn, Terry Kalagian, and Catherine Lyon

Part II. Media access and differential use patterns

Media use across childhood : access, time, and content / Ronda Scantlin

Children, race, ethnicity, and media / Bradley S. Greenberg and Dana E. Mastro

Gender, media use, and effects / Stacey J T. Hust and Jane D. Brown

Media and the family / Alison Alexander

Part III. Cognitive effects of media : how and what children learn

Attention and learning from media during infancy and early childhood / Rachel Barr

Media symbol systems and cognitive processes / Kaveri Subrahmanyam and Patricia Greenfield

Learning from educational media / Heather L. Kirkorian and Daniel R. Anderson

News, reality shows, and children's fears : examining content patterns, theories, and negative effects / Stacy L. Smith, Katherine M. Pieper, and Emily J. Moyer-Guse

Part IV. Social effects of media

Media violence and aggression in youth / Barbara J. Wilson

Pro social effects of media exposure / Marie-Louise Mares, Edward Palmer, and Tia Sullivan

Make-believe play, imagination, and creativity : links to children's media exposure / Dorothy G. Singer and Jerome L. Singer

Parasocial and online social relationships / Cynthia Hoffner

Fear responses to media entertainment / Patti M. Valkenburg and Moniek Buijzen

Part V. Health effects of media

Media use and childhood obesity / Elizabeth A. Vandewater and Hope M. Cummings

Media, body image, and eating disorders / Kristen Harrison and Veronica Hefner

Media and advertising effects / Brian Young

Adolescents and media messages about tobacco, alcohol, and drugs / Dina L. G. Borzekowski and Victor C. Strasburger

Part VI. Media policy and interventions

The Children's Television Act / Sandra L. Calvert

Regulating the media : sexually explicit content / Joah G. Iannotta

Media related policies of professional health organizations / Marie Evans Schmidt, David S. Bickham, Amy Branner and Michael Rich

The rating systems for media products / Douglas A. Gentile

Parent and school interventions : mediation and media literacy / Jennifer L. Chakroff and Amy I. Nathanson