ABSTRACT
Much of the media psychology literature focuses on the factors that undermine well-being, such as the harmful eects of media violence, racial stereotyping, sex-role stereotyping, the creation of unrealistic body-image expectations, and so on (see e.g., Bryant & Oliver, 2009; Nabi & Oliver, 2009; see also the chapters by Mastro and by Greenwood in this volume). In fact, even studies purporting to explore well-being often examine issues that actually detract from well-being, such as depression and loneliness associated with Internet use (e.g., Huang, 2010). At the same time, the chapters in this volume forcefully demonstrate that a notable number of media scholars have begun to systematically investigate media’s potential to enhance well-being and to contribute to a purposeful and fullling life. Among the various psychological mechanisms that may connect media use and well-being, media scholars have invested signicant eort in understanding how media give rise to so-called flow experiences (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990; Sherry, 2004a).
