Digital Gadget Gift Ideas For Big Kids
Digital Gadget Gift Ideas For Big Kids
When most parents think gadgets for kids, they tend to think like a little kid... which means video games. While it's true that younger children (age range 5 to 12 years) will be impressed by video games, older kids entering their 'tween and teen years expect something more. For one thing, social networking becomes very important to them!
Today's teenager is unbelievably plugged into the web. They share photos, videos, podcasts, text messages, and they usually have a social network profile, email address, chat name, Twitter profile, MySpace page... the list goes on and on. You have to realize that whether or not you, as a parent, approve of some of these networks (there are some raunchy MySpace pages out there, after all!), your teen's future social life may depend on them. Teach them Internet safety and precautions, and cross your fingers.
Anyway, young 'tweens and teens will appreciate a text messaging system most of all. Text has a nice balance between being fast and convenient, and being quiet, so you don't have to yell your business all over the cafeteria (and so you can do it quietly in class!). The next most important feature is a camera.
The camera is for both taking still images and videos. In this day, teens are likely to socialize over YouTube. Check the site out and browse around - you'll find many user videos are simply little video-blog posts, and then you'll notice other records responding to them... it's like a cross between video chat and a message board!
When picking a camera, you'll want the highest quality one you can find. This is because nothing's more embarrassing than having to post a discolored, fuzzy, pixelated photo of yourself on your online profile.
After that, your best bet is a mobile phone, pocket PC, PDA, or palmtop. Today's teen has little patience for big, bulky devices - they prefer something that fits in a pocket or purse, but does all the functions they need. Of course, the higher-quality the better, because mobile devices are also a status item among teens.
Games are a final consideration, but basically by this time most teens either aren't interested in games, or want the bigger, more elaborate experience that comes with a fully-3D-capable desktop. Of course, anybody appreciates a small casual game of a Tetris-type puzzle while idling away a dull moment, but that's about all they'll usually expect.
Filed Under: The Retro Stylez, Toyz
