Shopping for gifts is synonymous with the spirit of Christmas. Malls, online shops, and retail stores are filled with anxious buyers in search of the perfect gift for their loved ones. And if you are a parent of a teenager – then you are probably the most stressed shopper between all.
With their changing lifestyle and evolving social circle, teenagers are the trickiest to shop for. In a recent survey, SellCell queried over 2000 parents with children between the ages of 13 and 18 to learn what they are buying for their teenagers this Christmas.
In the survey by SellCell, around 40.7% of the respondent's parents think that a smartphone is the best gift for their teenage child. It was also found that almost half of the surveyed parents with children aged between 17 and 18 would buy a smartphone as a Christmas gift.
The figure was lower – around 35.7% for the 15-16 years old while a little over 15% of parents agreed to give their 13-14-year-olds a phone this holiday season.
Gaming consoles took the second spot as a popular gift choice for young adults with over 42% of parents with a child between 13 -14 saying they would invest in a Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4 this year. However, it was not a very preferred gift for elder teens above the age of 16 with only 20% of parents acknowledging it as their Christmas gift.
Interestingly, 22% of parents approved of giving cash to their children. And said that it freed them from stressing over presents while children also had the freedom to purchase what they really want.
The fourth position was secured by computers, laptops, and tablets – by 17% of parents. Clothing, experiential gifts, sports gear, and toys were the last in line and apparently the least popular (and rarely given) presents for teenagers this Christmas.
Around 15% of the surveyed parents said that they could expect the price tag to be between $400 and $500 while 22% said that it could be higher than $550 – depending on the brand and model of the technological device they purchase.
Surprisingly, a majority of parents are willing to go overboard their holiday shopping budget and spend as much as $1000 per child - with one in ten parents saying that they don’t mind splurging more than $1000 for the gift.
The survey also assessed the gift-buying behavior of single-child parents and concluded that they spend more money on gifts, compared to parents with more than one child. In fact, 6 out of 10 single-child parents said that they are willing to buy gifts worth more than $850, while only 16% of parents with multiple kids said that they would overspend on gifts.
Unfortunately, yes!
Only 13% of the surveyed parents said that they would take their teenage children for family outings and other traditions this Christmas whilst over 87% were simply in favor of giving the latest gadgets.
Once upon a time, Christmas was all about celebrating with family and friends, showing gratitude and sharing with the loved ones. In this digital era, technology is taking over many family gatherings and seems like it is also plugging in the traditions of Christmas as well with most parents preferring to give monetary gifts, instead of experiencing its true customs.
What do you think about the Christmas gifts trend this year? Are you also planning to give your teenager a tech gadget as a present or do you have something unique in mind? Do let us know in the comments below!
Read next: The Ever-Blooming Economy of Smartphones
With their changing lifestyle and evolving social circle, teenagers are the trickiest to shop for. In a recent survey, SellCell queried over 2000 parents with children between the ages of 13 and 18 to learn what they are buying for their teenagers this Christmas.
Hi-tech products – the ultimate gift for parents
Gone are the days when children were happy with receiving simple gifts like bicycles and clothes. The children of today are living with technology around them and expect the same for their Christmas gifts.
In the survey by SellCell, around 40.7% of the respondent's parents think that a smartphone is the best gift for their teenage child. It was also found that almost half of the surveyed parents with children aged between 17 and 18 would buy a smartphone as a Christmas gift.
The figure was lower – around 35.7% for the 15-16 years old while a little over 15% of parents agreed to give their 13-14-year-olds a phone this holiday season.
Gaming consoles took the second spot as a popular gift choice for young adults with over 42% of parents with a child between 13 -14 saying they would invest in a Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4 this year. However, it was not a very preferred gift for elder teens above the age of 16 with only 20% of parents acknowledging it as their Christmas gift.
Interestingly, 22% of parents approved of giving cash to their children. And said that it freed them from stressing over presents while children also had the freedom to purchase what they really want.
The fourth position was secured by computers, laptops, and tablets – by 17% of parents. Clothing, experiential gifts, sports gear, and toys were the last in line and apparently the least popular (and rarely given) presents for teenagers this Christmas.
The price tag!
The survey reveals that nine out of ten parents are expecting their gift expense to be more than $400 per child.Around 15% of the surveyed parents said that they could expect the price tag to be between $400 and $500 while 22% said that it could be higher than $550 – depending on the brand and model of the technological device they purchase.
Surprisingly, a majority of parents are willing to go overboard their holiday shopping budget and spend as much as $1000 per child - with one in ten parents saying that they don’t mind splurging more than $1000 for the gift.
The survey also assessed the gift-buying behavior of single-child parents and concluded that they spend more money on gifts, compared to parents with more than one child. In fact, 6 out of 10 single-child parents said that they are willing to buy gifts worth more than $850, while only 16% of parents with multiple kids said that they would overspend on gifts.
What happened to the traditions?
So is technology and monetary gifts taking over the real spirit of the special occasion?Unfortunately, yes!
Only 13% of the surveyed parents said that they would take their teenage children for family outings and other traditions this Christmas whilst over 87% were simply in favor of giving the latest gadgets.
Once upon a time, Christmas was all about celebrating with family and friends, showing gratitude and sharing with the loved ones. In this digital era, technology is taking over many family gatherings and seems like it is also plugging in the traditions of Christmas as well with most parents preferring to give monetary gifts, instead of experiencing its true customs.
What do you think about the Christmas gifts trend this year? Are you also planning to give your teenager a tech gadget as a present or do you have something unique in mind? Do let us know in the comments below!
Read next: The Ever-Blooming Economy of Smartphones
