Teens Rank Cell Phones #1 Electronic Purchase
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By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 11/17/2008 2:00:00 PM
Nearly half of all teens’ daily activities are driven by technology, with listening to music ranking as number one, says a new report from the trade organization the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
Meanwhile, a quarter of teens expect to purchase a new cell phone within the next six months, making it the most popular consumer electronic product purchase.
That’s not surprising. When asked to choose one technology to use for an entire day, cell phones topped the list. And they’re not using them just for talking—70 percent use their cell phones for texting. Teens also use their phones to access mobile entertainment, shoot videos, listen to music, and watch videos.
Also, more than one-third of teens’ cell phone activities include accessing and creating content, which means teen ownership of smartphones—those with computerlike features—is expected to take off, says the “Teens and Technology Study,” conducted in July 2008 and released this month.
“Today's teens were introduced to technology as toddlers and rely on consumer electronic products like computers, cell phones, and MP3 players that make their lives easier,” says the study.
Teens say technology keeps them in touch with friends and family. However, three-quarters of teens say that’s not at the expense of spending less time with people because of technology.
"Teens are comfortable with technology and value the improvements technology makes in their lives," say Steve Koenig, CEA's director of industry analysis. "As this generation looks for all-in-one features and bigger and better products, they will fuel the growth of the consumer electronics industry."
CEA research shows the average teen expects to spend around $312 on consumer electronic devices in the next six months. They’re also well versed in a number of electronic products and spend about four hours per school day devoted to technology-related activities.
Personal ownership of electronic devices among teens is low, however, because they still live at home, where many electronics belong to parents. Exceptions include lower-cost products such as headphones, cell phones, and MP3 players, of which teens claim sole ownership.
The complete study is available free to CEA member companies at members.CE.org. Nonmembers may purchase the study for $699 at mycea.ce.org. CEA will host a webcast on this study Thursday, November 20, 2–3 p.m. (ET). Register at www.CE.org/Events/webcasts.asp.
