Watch closely

Though today's teens face many of the same issues as they did 15 years ago in terms of economic challenges and family life, their unprecedented access to technology makes them increasingly self reliant — and is shaping their consumer behavior in new ways, according to research from Experian Simmons.

Simmons' Teens Study finds teens still spend money on the same products they did in the early 1990s: Music, clothes, video games and electronics. But a high comfort level with technology, foregone expectations for instantaneous communication, and heavy participation in the online arena is transforming these products in ways that are important for marketers to understand, MarketingCharts reports.

Following are several key findings about America's teens.

Teens are online:

• Of online activities teens have done in the last seven days, communications like email and IM top the list and are followed by playing/downloading games and music.

• Education/research, which likely involves school projects, is sixth on this list.

Teens talk:

• The cell phone industry saw rapid growth in mobile use among teens, going from one-third ownership in 2003 to two-thirds ownership in 2007.
• Teens use many different features on their cell phones - especially the camera, internet access, games, and texting. (A previous study found that of the panoply of mobile marketing techniques, text marketing is most-often responded to.)

• Females and older teens are the dominant users of camera features.
• Games on wireless devices are more popular among younger teens, but once teens get older – texting with friends becomes most popular.

Teens work:

• 24% of teens work either full- or part-time. 34% of teens who work earn $100 or more each week, while 40% of working older teens (age 15-17) earn $100 or more each week.
• The percentage of teens working increases as they age, going from 11% of 12-14 year-olds to 35% of 15-17 year-olds who work.

Teens save:

• About half of all teens have a bank account, with older teens and female teens slightly ahead of the other groups.

• Older teens are the group most likely to have an ATM/debit card and a checking account.

Teens spend:

• Clothing, music and movies are the top three items for spending among teens in general.
• Males are most likely to buy video games or electronics.

• Females are more likely to spend their money on clothing, jewelry/accessories and make up, rather than music or movies.

Teens are motivated:

• More than 80% of teens agree that going to college is important to them.
• Teens cite careers and having their own family as important, followed closely by good relationships with family and friends.

Last year, Annenberg research found the online activity of Americans in general tends to mirror the activity of younger users — particularly teens.

About the study: Simmons' Teens Study is a continuously-measured sample of approximately 2,500 US teens between ages 12 and 17.