Combining established theory with original analysis, this book provides a clear account of the social benefits and drawbacks of new media trends and technologies such as emoji, wearables and chatbots and calls for a more critical approach to the rollout of emotional AI in public and private spheres.

This text provides a concrete set of tools to research and analyse a wide range of visual data, showing students how to apply the right mix of methods to their own research projects and equipping them with the skills to break down and analyse contemporary visual communication.

Conceived by Chris Grey as an antidote to conventional textbooks, each book in the 'Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap' series takes a core area of the curriculum and turns it on its head by providing a critical and sophisticated overview of the key issues and debates in an informal, conversational and often humorous way.

This is an excellent introduction to the subject, wide-ranging, authoritative and accessible. The presentation of key concepts in the understanding of contemporary childhood, followed by a series of thematic explorations, makes for an effective combination of breadth and depth. I would recommend it to students in particular." - Nigel Thomas, Professor Emeritus of Childhood and Youth, UCLAN

Revised edition of the authors' Gangs in America's communities, [2016]