American Adults Spend $1,200 a Year on Electronics

Take a moment and think about your last Christmas morning. How many of the items unwrapped by you, your spouse, or your kids required batteries, a power outlet, or frequent software updates?

In all likelihood, it was these kinds of devices that dominated the gift-giving ceremony, as U.S. consumers continue to prop up the electronics industry. The impact of this is only recently being documented, with the most blatant evidence presented in the new study proclaiming that, on average, American adults spend some $1,200 a year on electronics.

The retail examination was conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association, a trade group that represents some of the industry's most prolific gadget companies. Beyond discovering the rather lofty average of over a grand, the study also found that the typical American home contains some 25 electronics products.

Considering the massive divide between rich and poor in the United States, both seem to be especially high totals. (Source: ce.org)

Although speculation and mainstream hype might finger cell phones and video game consoles as the most sought-after items, in reality the greatest growth came in the retail of digital video recorders, routers, digital music players, and cable modems. In other words, storage, audio, and necessary network devices are at the forefront of the growing electronics business.

Almost as impressive as the adult spending may be that of teens. It seems that the average seventeen year old is saving up their fast-food pay check in order to spend some $350 a year on electronics products, a total that actual halves the age group's discretionary funds.

Finally, the combo of adults and teens reach the highest gadget spending heights. Older Americans with teens living in the home spend $500 more than the average, instead grabbing up $1,700 worth of electronics every year. (Source: news.com)