social science / media studies

"An ... investigation into behavioral addiction, the dark flipside of today's unavoidable digital technologies, and how we can turn the tide to regain control..."--Provided by publisher.

"Surveys the common archetypes of Internet users--from geeks, nerds, and gamers to hackers, scammers, and predators--and assesses what these stereotypes reveal about our culture's attitudes regarding gender, technology, intimacy, and identity. Provides ... information about the interplay between media representations of Internet users and gender, politics, technology, and society... Presents findings that suggest that in spite of the Internet being so prevalent, technophobia is still an inherent subtext of many pop culture references to it. Considers how the vast majority of the portrayals of Internet user stereotypes are male--and evaluates how these male-dominated roles shape and are shaped by popular attitudes about sexuality, technology, intimacy, and identity"--Provided by publisher.

"Steven Spielberg. Vincent Van Gogh. David Bowie. A few examples of superstars in film directing, painting and music for which interest in and study of has yet to decline. Now, as game studies is becoming more of a mainstay in academia, there is a great need to uncover the masterminds behind the screen. Influential Video Game Designers is the first series to take seriously the role of the game designer, by profiling those who have shaped contemporary video gaming, and providing insights into the practice, history, and artistry of game design. You may never have heard of Shigeru Miyamoto, but his output is sure to stir in you feelings of nostalgia and contentment. Joining Nintendo in the late 1970s, Miyamoto was the creator of lasting game franchises, such as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Donkey Kong, just to name a few. His being named in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2007 also proves his continued relevance in game design, game history and pop culture. Combining critical essays with interviews, bibliographies, and striking visuals, Shigeru Miyamoto launches this exciting new series, in order to provide gamers, industry professionals, and scholars with a history of the games they love and the design teams behind them, focusing on both the processes and products of game design. "--.

Examines the impact of social media on the judicial process, citing numerous cases as examples, demonstrating the legal challenges, and viewing the issue from all sides.

"The Routledge Companion to Media and Gender offers a comprehensive examination of media and gender studies, charting its histories, investigating ongoing controversies, and assessing future trends.The 59 chapters in this volume, written by leading researchers from around the world, provide scholars and students with an engaging and authoritative survey of current thinking in media and gender research.The Companion includes the following features: With each chapter addressing a distinct, concrete set of issues, the volume includes research from around the world to engage readers in a broad array of global and transnational issues and intersectional perspectives.Authors address a series of important questions that have consequences for current and future thinking in the field, including postfeminism, sexual violence, masculinity, media industries, queer identities, video games, digital policy, media activism, sexualization, docusoaps, teen drama, cosmetic surgery, media Islamophobia, sport, telenovelas, news audiences, pornography, and social and mobile media.A range of academic disciplines inform exploration of key issues around production and policymaking, representation, audience engagement, and the place of gender in media studies.The Routledge Companion to Media and Gender is an essential guide to the central ideas, concepts and debates currently shaping media and gender research"--.

From one of our leading film historians and interpreters: a brilliantly researched, irresistibly witty, delightfully illustrated examination of "the marriage movie": what it is (or isn't) and what it has to tell us about the movies--and ourselves. As long as there have been feature movies there have been marriage movies, and yet Hollywood has always been cautious about how to label them--perhaps because unlike any other genre of film, the marriage movie resonates directly with the experience of almost every adult coming to see it. Here is "happily ever after"--except when things aren't happy, and when "ever after" is abruptly terminated by divorce, tragedy. or even murder. With her large-hearted understanding of how movies--and audiences--work, Basinger traces the many ways Hollywood has tussled with this tricky subject, explicating the relationships of countless marriages from Blondie and Dagwood to the heartrending couple in the Iranian A Separation, from Coach and his wife in Friday Night Lights to Tracy and Hepburn to Laurel and Hardy (a marriage if ever there was one). A treasure trove of insight and sympathy, illustrated with scores of wonderfully telling movies stills, posters, and ads.