Youth and Media

The relationship between youth and the media is one of the most frequented areas in media and cultural studies, but rarely has it been so judiciously, thoroughly, and productively examined as it is in Andy Ruddock's excellent and most useful book.
Professor Graeme Turner
The University of Queensland

'In addition to the provision of a new slant on media power and youth to the existing wealth of studies of media and the young Ruddock achieves a genuinely absorbing scholarly read. By using thought-provoking pertinent case studies underpinned clearly with wider questions posed by sociologists and those working in cultural and media studies before highlighting why this is important, he achieves with enthusiasm and skill what many other scholars fail to do. Ruddock achieves the unusual in that he has written a research text that is also useful and accessible teaching tool for undergraduates and even postgraduates. He structures his book through an accessible process of asking a question, establishing why it is interesting, what has been written in the area, providing an insightful case study, and deliberating what can be said on the basis of evidence before considering what this contributes to understanding media influence. It could easily be used to help dissertation students struggling with creating a structured research piece from an interesting idea they have had. [...] It is a study of the here and now that will still offer insight when the cases have passed from immediate memory.'

"This volume attempts to study youth and media beyond a myopic media effects paradigm that problematizes use as antisocial and deviant....Ruddock pleads for the study of youth and media beyond "something that is bad" and provides several points of departure to move beyond this perspective. Summing Up: Recommended."

Using a series of case studies running the gamut from Kony 2012 to the life and times of Jackass star Bam Margera, Ruddock discusses how and why youth media studies matter, how it should be studied, and what we can learn from the findings. The book covers the influence and effect of media on youth in several contexts; in addition to the examples already mentioned, he covers the Ryan Florence and David Cameron incident, Insane Clown Posse and censorship, the Columbine high school shootings, child soldiers, and much more. The book does provide a good introductory discussion of a variety of key topics in the study of youth and the media, and does an excellent job of revealing the complexity of the relationship between youth and the media.

Throughout his ten chapters Ruddock frames his discussion in a recurring cyclical figure that flows in the following cycle: Research Question, Underlying issue about media influence, Relevant literature, Exemplifying case study, Outcomes, and Lesson for understanding media influence. This consistency in presentation is a strength of the book, adding some structure to a large and varied subject matter. This is a particularly good structure for students, Ruddock’s intended audience...Youth and Media is a good introductory text on the subject and students of media, sociology and violence will find it an excellent place to start.