AFTERWORD: The Invisible Children, Adolescents, and Media and the Future of our Research

The afterword on the invisible children in media research demonstrates that much of our scholarship is still focused on children from WEIRD societies (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic). In a recent study the authors conducted on journal publications in our field, they found that 90% of the first authors were from North American and European universities and 78% of the child samples were from “WEIRD” countries. They discuss the special efforts made in editing this handbook to be more inclusive and diverse. With an eye for this handbook to be paving a path for the future of research in our field, and not only highlighting the tremendous accomplishments gained so far, they are also calling for deliberate action steps. Ultimately, it is incumbent on us to make a much more authentic effort to elevate the voices of non-WEIRD participants and other marginalized and invisible children and adolescents, to understand their own experiences, motivations, aspirations as grounded in their unique cultures and circumstances.