The media play a vital role in the formation of young people’s gender identities. We see this as a complex and contested process, not simply a matter of the media imposing ‘stereotypes’ or ‘negative role models’ on innocent minds. We are particularly interested in how both boys and girls understand and engage with media representations of gender, and how they use them in actively forging their own identities. We have conducted several funded research projects in this area, looking at issues such as gender and computer games, sexual content in the media, and girls’ ‘digital cultures’. We also have several research students addressing gender issues in the context of their empirical studies. Gender is also a key issue pervading our teaching, particularly on MA modules in areas such as Children’s Media Culture, Youth Culture and Games.