Newegg recently commissioned a survey to find out what technology products most students want for college. Unsurprisingly, we found that the most popular technology products among students ages 18-24 are laptops, large televisions, tablets, printers, smartphones, speakers and the latest software.
It seems the some of the most important factors students consider when purchasing tech products for college is mobility and convenience. After all, students are the ones who will have to be carrying the products around from class to class all day. Because each student will be the main user for each technology product purchased for back to school, it’s important that he or she is able to provide their input when making the purchasing decision.
Survey results also revealed that one in three students have an item purchased by a parent that they do not like or do not use. For example, 92 percent of students consider a laptop a necessity for college but 36 percent admitted that they were not completely happy with it throughout the academic year.
Sixty-six percent of students consider the printer a necessity for their classes. However, only 47 percent trust their parents to buy the right printer. The trend continues for software as well – 70 percent of students want to be able to pick out what programs to buy themselves instead of trusting their parents to buy it for them.
Technology is constantly being updated so it makes sense that the younger generation is much more in touch with it than their parents’ generation. In order to help bridge this generation gap, we launched the Parent Persuasion Program, which gives students access to unconventional marketing tactics to help students communicate to their parents which technology products are right for them. Visitors to Newegg’s Parent Persuasion site are treated to a set of videos which humorously advise the student on how to get their parents to buy the right products for them: “Welcome to the most advanced manipulation system in human history, focusing the power of 19 million geeks on a single task – getting your parents to open their wallets.”
How do you feel about your parents buying technology products for you?
