When societies worry about media effects, why do they focus so much on young people? Is advertising to blame for binge drinking? Do films and video games inspire school shootings? Tackling these kinds of questions, Youth and Media explains why young people are central to understanding critical issues in media studies and media education. Andy Ruddock offers a fascinating account of how media define the identities and social imaginations of young people. He explores how the notion of media influence 'works' when daily life compels young people to act out their relationships through media content and technologies. Ultimately, Youth and Media explains why the experiences of young media users are central to new agendas in the fields of critical media studies and media education. Complete with helpful chapter guides, contemporary case studies drawn from a truly global context and useful chapter summaries, Youth and Media is an engaging and accessible introduction to the hugely topical subject of media influence. It is ideal for students on youth media and youth culture modules across media studies, cultural studies and sociology.