Colorful, digital, musical gifts a hit for teens in ’06
BY MOLLY MAGIER
Student Writer

Like everyone else, us teens want everything. Well, we don’t expect you to wrap that in a box and put a large bow on it, but there are a few practical things that would make us smile this holiday season.

For instance, anything relating to iPods is a surefire way to buy a successful present for a teen. Simply put, we love music. It drowns out the voice of our parents and the voice in our head telling us we should be listening to them.

If it’s in your budget (and he or she doesn’t already have one), the new colored iPod Nano is a great gift. This is because, truthfully speaking, we love anything colored, patterned, sparkly or neon. If the kid in question has a car, cassette adapters allow the young and restless to listen to whatever is on the iPod with the speakers in the car.

Another great gift is a USB adapter that allows iPod users to charge iPods anywhere with a plug. A cheaper alternative to iPods are MP3 players.

Gary Howard, sales associate for business machines at Staples, said that MP3 players are selling really well. The SanDisk is particularly successful, he said.

Cool cell-phone covers, digital cameras and computer-related gifts are great. Just speak to their parents first so that you can buy them what they are missing, or appropriate accessories for what they already have. The V from Verizon is a great gift for teens because it sports the newest V-cast system, which allows the holder to download music and play it on his or her phone. It also has mobile, which in a wireless world is a convenient plus.

For those video-game-loving nephews and nieces, game systems, games and controllers will be greatly appreciated. The PSP is pricey, but the Nintendo DS now comes in pink. The newest system Nintendo now advertises is the Nintendo Wii.

That happens to be exactly what Victor Lin, an eighth-grader at Churchill Junior High School, wants for Christmas. He calls it a “revolution in the game world.” This seems to be because it is an interactive game that allows you to fight monsters or ninjas on a much more intense level. Any game-buff would love it.

Any of these items is great, but each teen has their own taste. If you keep it small and keep it sparkly, you’ll keep your teen smiling, maybe even avoid a scowl or an eye-roll for a month or two.

Molly Magier, 14, is a ninth-grade student at Churchill Junior High School, East Brunswick.