The Internet has become an indispensable tool for communications, research and commerce. But this report addresses the growing public concern at the Internet's dark side: the easy availability of hardcore pornography, which people may find offensive, the uploading by ordinary people of film of real fights, bullying or alleged rape, or the setting up of websites encouraging others to follow extreme diets, or self-harm, or even commit suicide. In particular, there is increasing anxiety among parents about the use of social networking sites and chatrooms for grooming and sexual predation. The Committee welcomes the Government-commissioned report by Dr Tanya Byron on the risks posed by the Internet to children, and agrees that a UK Council for Child Internet Safety should be established. Sites which host user-generated content-typically photos and videos uploaded by members of the public-have taken some steps to set minimum standards for that content. The Committee recommends that proactive review of content should be standard practice for such sites, and calls for provision of high profile facilities for reporting abuse or unwelcome behaviour directly to law enforcement and support organisations. There is a distinct issue about labelling of video games to indicate the nature of their content. Two systems currently exist side by side: the industry awards its own ratings, and the British Board of Film Classification awards classifications to a small number of games which feature content unsuitable for children. The dual system is confusing, and BBFC should have responsibility for rating games with content appropriate for adults or teenagers.

Violent video games are successfully marketed to and easily obtained by children and adolescents. Even the U.S. government distributes one such game, America's Army, through both the internet and its recruiting offices. Is there any scientific evidence to support the claims that violent games contribute to aggressive and violent behavior? As the first book to unite empirical research on and public policy options for violent video games, Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents will be an invaluable resource for student and professional researchers in social and developmental psychology and media studies.

What impact can video games have on us as players? How does psychology influence video game creation? Why do some games become cultural phenomena? The Psychology of Video Games introduces the curious reader to the relationship between psychology and video games from the perspective of both game makers and players. Assuming no specialist knowledge, this concise, approachable guide is a starter book for anyone intrigued by what makes video games engaging and what is their psychological impact on gamers. It digests the research exploring the benefits gaming can have on players in relation to education and healthcare, considers the concerns over potential negative impacts such as pathological gaming, and concludes with some ethics considerations. With gaming being one of the most popular forms of entertainment today, The Psychology of Video Games shows the importance of understanding the human brain and its mental processes to foster ethical and inclusive video games.

This book discusses incentives for information management, usage of information for existing practices to become more efficient, the acceleration of executive learning, and an evaluation of the information management impact on an organization. In today’s COVID-influenced volatile world, companies face a variety of challenges. And the most crucial of them are high levels of uncertainty and risk. Therefore, companies are constantly under pressure to provide sustainable solutions. Accordingly, previously gathered knowledge and information can be extremely helpful for this purpose. Hence, this fourth book of our subseries continues to accentuate on different approaches, which point to the importance of continuous progress in structural management for sustainable growth. It highlights the permanent gain and usage of information. We would be pleased if the book can stimulate further research on this subject matter.

This work explores the growing convergence between youth culture and digital communication technologies and the corresponding challenges posed to policymakers, examining the current governance debate on online child safety.

Why should anyone care about the medium of communication today, especially when talking about media law? In today’s digital society, many emphasise convergence and seek new regulatory approaches. In Medium Law, however, the ‘medium theory’ insights of Harold Innis, Marshall McLuhan and the Toronto School of Communication are drawn upon as part of an argument that differences between media, and technological definitions, continue to play a crucial role in the regulation of the media. Indeed, Mac Síthigh argues that the idea of converged, cross-platform, medium-neutral media regulation is unattainable in practice and potentially undesirable in substance. This is demonstrated through the exploration of the regulation of a variety of platforms such as films, games, video-on-demand and premium rate telephone services. Regulatory areas discussed include content regulation, copyright, tax relief for producers and developers, new online services, conflicts between regulatory systems, and freedom of expression. This timely and topical volume will appeal to postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers interested in fields such as Law, Policy, Regulation, Media Studies, Communications History, and Cultural Studies.

This book analyzes the effect of policy on the digital game complex: government, industry, corporations, distributors, players, and the like. Contributors argue that digital games are not created nor consumed outside of the complex power relationships that dictate the full production and distribution cycles, and that we need to consider those relationships in order to effectively "read" and analyze digital games. Through examining a selection of policies, e.g. the Australian government’s refusal (until recently) to allow an R18 rating for digital games, Blizzard’s policy in regards to intellectual property, Electronic Arts’ corporate policy for downloadable content (DLC), they show how policy, that is to say the rules governing the production, distribution and consumption of digital games, has a tangible effect upon our understanding of the digital game medium.

This book provides a comprehensive and authoritative description of the relationships between mental health and digital technology use, including how such technologies may be harnessed to improve mental health.

Although written simply enough to be accessible to undergraduates, accomplished scholars are likely to appreciate it too. Reading it taught me quite a lot about a subject I thought I knew rather well. - Paul Vogt, Illinois State University "This book brings the art and science of building and applying innovative online research tools to students and faculty across the social sciences." - William H. Dutton, University of Oxford A comprehensive guide to the theory and practice of web Social Science. This book demonstrates how the web is being used to collect social research data, such as online surveys and interviews, as well as digital trace data from social media environments, such as Facebook and Twitter. It also illuminates how the advent of the web has led to traditional social science concepts and approaches being combined with those from other scientific disciplines, leading to new insights into social, political and economic behaviour. Situating social sciences in the digital age, this book aids: understanding of the fundamental changes to society, politics and the economy that have resulted from the advent of the web choice of appropriate data, tools and research methods for conducting research using web data learning how web data are providing new insights into long-standing social science research questions appreciation of how social science can facilitate an understanding of life in the digital age It is ideal for students and researchers across the social sciences, as well as those from information science, computer science and engineering who want to learn about how social scientists are thinking about and researching the web.