According to a study released today by the Consumer Electronics Association, portable MP3 players rank as the most wanted gift among teens this holiday season. Seventeen percent of teenagers in the study selected the device as a desired gift, a 9 percent increase over 2003. Video game consoles, computers, portable gaming devices and cell phones rounded out the top five on teens’ technology wish lists.

“With portable music players in high demand and the next generation of video game consoles set to launch, teens are clear about what they want this holiday season,” said Sean Wargo, CEA’s director of industry analysis.

Teens also named digital cameras, game peripherals and portable CD players as potential gift items. Beyond consumer electronics products, the study results showed that teens remain consistently interested in clothes, CDs and video game titles as gifts they wish to receive.

“CDs in particular stand out as a reminder of the remaining importance of the shiny disk format as the preferred medium for music, despite the strong growth of online music services and teens’ predilection for MP3,” said Wargo. “While many teens continue to buy tracks online, it’s clear that they also continue to rely on CDs to fill their hungry portable devices and music appetites.”

MP3 players also top the list of gifts teens expect to give this holiday season. Nearly 60 percent of teens who will buy at least one consumer electronics item reported that they may choose an MP3 player as a gift. According to the survey, nearly half of teens (47 percent) plan to pay for all or most of the gifts they plan to give this season with their own money, which may come as a welcome surprise for parents. Older teens, who are more likely to have part-time employment, show higher self-funding. In addition, the number of teens who report that they’ll purchase gifts online is 43 percent, up from 40 percent in 2003.

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