Teenagers are an image-conscious lot – but where it was once about having jeans from a must-have designer, the latest statement t-shirts, or the newest trainers, it seems today’s teens are turning their attentions to the latest, must have tech.
And whereas teenagers would never be seen dead or otherwise in ‘fake’ remakes of designer brands, it seems some are happy to save money on clothing and instead spend it on the latest smartphones.
Nicole Myers, a 19-year-old model from New York in USA, is one such teen technophile: “It’s definitely more exciting for a lot of teenagers to have a new phone that can do lots of cool stuff than clothing. A phone keeps you much more entertained. It’s a better distraction than clothing.”
So are our teens destined to ditch the threads for tech?
A shift in teenage trends
Trend-spotters and analysts believe we are currently witnessing a major shift in teenage trends and teenage spending – ask any group of teenagers about what excites them about the latest fashion trends or what the next big look will be, the conversation will almost invariably come around to the iPhone 6.
This shift in attitude is hitting the retail sector hard as the teenage clothing sector, which accounts for around 15% of all apparel sales, is in a deep slump as sales have declined over the last few quarters.
And it’s not just a case of tech-over-threads, the popularity and immediacy of social media apps like Instagram means teenagers’ attention to one must-have fashion item is switching more quickly than ever as they’re instantly able to see what their celebrity and fashion role models are wearing.
Phones as shopping trolleys
Whereas designer jeans and jackets were once high on teenagers’ wish-lists, it’s now Swarovski-bejewelled phone cases and can-sized headphones that are used to show they’re plugged in, fashion-wise.
Phones aren’t just being used as status-symbols though – as handbags are for women and watched are for men – they’re also being used as shopping trolleys as more and more teenagers are turning their back on shopping malls and buying online.
Food retailers have been one of the more unexpected beneficiaries in this teen, tech, explosion – a recent study in the States found teenagers spend more money on food than anything else – and the main reason for this is the free Wi-Fi on offer.
So next time you’re working remotely from your local coffee shop, don’t be surprised if you find yourself sharing it with gangs of noisy teenagers!
