ABSTRACT

This expansive, lively introduction charts the connections between international youth cultures and the development of global media and communication.

From 1950s drive-ins and jukeboxes to contemporary social media, the book examines modern youth cultures in their social, economic, and political contexts. Exploring the rise of young people as a distinct media market, the book examines the relation of youth to modern consumerism, marketing, and digital technologies. The chapters are packed with analysis of media representations of youth, debates about the media’s 'effects' on young audiences, and young people’s use of the media to elaborate identities and negotiate social relationships. Drawing on a wealth of international examples, the book explores the impact of globalisation and new media technologies on youth cultures around the world. Assessing a profusion of worldwide research, the book shows how modern youth cultures can only be understood as part of an international web of connections, exchanges, and experiences.

With an ideal balance between detailed examples and engaging analysis, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in youth cultures and the modern media.

chapter 1|15 pages

Introduction

Youth culture and the media: global perspectives

chapter 2|19 pages

The rise of the teenage media market

Youth, consumption, and entertainment in the twentieth century

chapter 3|25 pages

Millennials and the media

Youth, communication, and consumption in the early twenty-first century

chapter 4|23 pages

Media representations of youth

Pathologies, panaceas, and moral panics

chapter 5|23 pages

Media effects and youth

A crucible of controversy

chapter 6|24 pages

Young people and media consumption

From mass culture to subcultures, ‘resistance’ … and beyond

chapter 10|6 pages

Conclusion

Youth, media, and ‘circuits of culture’