We all know the words, right? “The smartphones were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.”

Wait. That’s not right. How about, “The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of e-readers danced in their heads.”?

Hm. That doesn’t sound like the way I learned it, either.

Is it possible that, alongside the chestnuts roasting on an open fire and Jack Frost nipping at my nose, I’ll soon need to make room for iPads charging by electric wires and Angry Birds flying at Green Pigs? Could it be that gadgets and gizmos have found a place right alongside cookies and milk in my Christmas paradigm?

Let me just check with Google and I’ll get back to you.



Image via Tenstories.com

Well, the good news is, it turns out that I am not the only one. Recent studies show that 22 percent of people expect to check a digital device during Christmas dinner (hey, I want to know if my Facebook friends “liked” the picture of me in my turkey hat that I posed); 27 percent of people start to start shopping online for sales on Christmas Day; and 50 percent of parents will give the gift of technology to their children.

This study surveyed 1000 people age 18-65 who live in the United Kingdom, asking them about the roles that digital devices will play on Christmas Day and what sorts of technology gifts they plan to buy this holiday season.

Intersperience, the consumer research company that conducted the survey, found many other interesting statistics as well. Sixty-one percent of respondents plan to access social networking sites on Christmas Day to send holiday greetings or stay in touch with friends and loved ones. 10 percent of parents intend to buy tablets for children under 18, while 30 percent of adults hope to find a tablet under their own tree.

I, for one, fondly remember getting a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas in 1986. I haven’t left my couch since then. This year, though, I am hoping for something a little more low-tech. After all my sitting and staring at screens, I think I could use some new spectacles…