Table of Contents

Chapter 1. On Fantasy and Reality
Chapter 2. Fandom, Fantasy, and Reality
Chapter 3. Old and New Media in Everyday Life: From TV to Social Media
Chapter 4. Media Violence
Chapter 5. Representations of Social Groups in Media
Chapter 6. Advertising, Consumerism, and Health
Chapter 7. Media and Identity
Chapter 8. The Social Psychology of Political Coverage
Chapter 9. From the Passenger's Seat to the Driver's Seat
Notes
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

Karen E. Dill-Shackleford is a social psychologist who studies the role of media in everyday life. Some of her special areas of interest are the psychology of engagement with narrative, violence and violence prevention, portrayals of race and gender, and fandom.

Reviews

"Professor Karen Dill has done a remarkable job in presenting the scientific facts about the huge (often harmful, sometimes helpful) impact that TV, films, video games, and music have on us all, and she has done so in a way that is engaging and easy to understand. Two additional aspects of this book are of particular importance: her science-based explanations of why most people believe that they are not influenced; and her recommendations for how people can
take control of the media in their lives rather than continuing to be controlled by the media industries. In my view, this is a 'must read' for anyone who is concerned about the healthy development of
children and the future of modern society."--Craig A. Anderson, Distinguished Professor of Psychology; Director, Center for the Study of Violence; Iowa State University
"[Dill] takes complex psychological constructs and explains them in an entertaining, conversational style. For parents and older children, she offers an engaging and accessible discussion of the subtle ways that the pervasive presence of media affects us all...[Dill] provides a comprehensive, yet comprehensible walk through the world of media effects research... Dr. Dill's message focuses not only on the negative side of media, but also on how to create a
positive and balanced media diet, especially for children. Media literacy is one part of the solution, and Dr. Dill's concluding message is that we all need to take more control of our media diet."--Jeanne
Brockmyer, Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, University of Toledo
"Media, in all their evolving forms, have become the default activities for the 21st century. Dr. Karen Dill's excellent book explains the tremendous impact media have and what we can do. She translates solid science into a highly understandable, readable and enjoyable book."--David Walsh, Ph.D. President, National Institute on Media and the Family
"Finally, an engaging and interesting book college students enjoy reading about the pervasive effects of the media." --Brad J. Bushman, Ph.D. Professor of Communication Studies and Psychology, University of Michigan
"...a triumph, an eminently accessible yet thoroughly substantive volume on a topic of great relevance to all."--Sex Roles: A Journal of Research
"Our media saturated environment is cluttered with opinions about how the media affects us--or doesn't affect us--in all sorts of ways. It's hard to find a book by someone who really understands the findings in the large and technical media effects literature and can communicate that knowledge to a general audience in a credible and highly engaging manner. Karen Dill-Shackleford accomplished that rare feat in 2009 with How Fantasy Becomes Reality. Now
with the media effects literature even larger, Professor Dill-Shackleford has written a second edition of this book which is even more interesting and engaging. This new edition of How Fantasy Becomes Reality
is a must read for anyone who wants to learn what is really going on with media effects." --W. James Potter, Professor of Communication, University of California at Santa Barbara; Author of The Eleven Myths of Media Violence
"Reading Karen Dill-Shackleford's revised and expanded How Fantasy Becomes Reality is like thinking through the most pressing, most enduring, and most interesting questions about the role of media in individuals' lives in the company of a really smart and engaging friend. With a humorous and easy-going style, she traces through the perils and pleasures of our media-saturated existence by providing thoughtful, fair, and clear-eyed analysis of oodles of
social science data and an uncanny ability to zero directly in on its importance for our daily lives. I'd recommend this book to students, scholars, and engaged citizens alike." --Erica Scharrer, Professor and
Chair, Department of Communication, University of Massachusetts Amherst