The material presented in this second edition provides a current and complete summary and synthesis of what is known about television's role in, and impact on, children's cognitive and social development. Unlike other books on television or child development, this text directly combines communication and psychological perspectives for a more comprehensive and accurate look at children's television experiences. The integration of information from these diverse sources addresses the complexity of the interactions among child, content, technological, and contextual variables, and provides a broader conceptualization of both theoretical and practical issues. In short, this volume carefully considers the complex and significant interplay between other forces in a child's life with the television viewing experience. Providing updated research findings in the major areas and including changing trends in television content and viewing patterns, this new edition offers new sections on technology and its influence and an entirely new chapter on television's impact on exceptional and high risk children. Also included are research findings on the many other media uses now available to children besides television, as well as those that affect children's use of television--VCRs, cable programs, computers, the Internet, video games, and virtual reality--in addition to a chapter on intervention and critical viewing strategies.