Tech is replacing fashion for teens

The prevailing argument among media types is that Apple’s $3 billion purchase of Beats makes sense if Apple is trying to transform from primarily a technology company to a fashion brand, perhaps akin to Yves St. Laurent and Burberry (both companies from which Apple hired big name executives). But what if the trend is moving in the opposite direction? A New York Times piece on the back-to-school shopping habits of the coveted teen demographic reveals that, in fact, technology is quickly becoming more of a status symbol than fashion. As the Times quotes one teen:

“Clothes aren’t as important to me,” said Olivia D’Amico, a 16-year-old from New York, as she shopped at Hollister with her sister and a friend. “Half the time I don’t really buy any brands. I just bought a pair of fake Doc Martens because I don’t really care.” She probably spends more on technology because she likes to “stay connected,” she said.

Read the full article for more blissfully self unaware teen commentary.