Its Not the Media

by Karen Sternheimer

Book Overview

Are school shootings the result of violent video games? Do sex-laden movies lead to promiscuity? Can Goth music create alienation? Repeatedly we are told the answer to these and similar questions is a resounding yes. But is this the right answer? It's Not the Media considers why media culture is a perennial target of both fascination and concern, and why we are so often encouraged to believe it is the root of many social problems. A look beyond the...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813341388
• ISBN13: 9780813341385
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.13 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Take the conversation outside of the psych lab

Insightful and well written. The author puts media into a social and historical context. This topic is typically discussed in sound bites on the evening news and in blaring headlines looking to exploit concerned parents. The concern is exploited by pscyhologists using sloppy experimental design in order to win favor of granting agencies. This book encourages parents to stop being afraid of kids, think critically about what their children are watching and doing, and have a reality check: childhood is not the sanitized version of innocence we think it is, but it is a fantastic time to learn and grow. Parents need to be willing to learn and grow as well. It is a great read and a refreshing perspective.

Part Social Criticism, Part Pop Culture Memoir

A really fun read - this book is part social criticism, part pop culture memoir. The author writes about what's wrong with some of the media effects research in a way that is actually entertaining. I wish I could have read a book like this when I was in college. It really gets you thinking.