I have teenage nieces and nephews that are impossible to shop for this time of year. Thinking back, I have a hard time remembering what I wanted at that age, but many of the tangible gifts I was once excited about have been replaced by digital funds (e.g., gift cards).
See here:
Guess who’s going to get a CD for Christmas? No one! Unless you’re into vinyl, the only way to gift music is with some sort of subscription service. A Spotify membership, an iTunes gift card, etc.
My memory: the year both Ace of Base and Meatloaf CDs were under the tree.
Anyone want to play a cool game? TOO BAD! Kids these days are more interested in Apps or games that download directly to some computer or whatever-device. So again, you can get a Microsoft gift card (for Xbox) or another iTunes/App Store gift card.
My memory: the year I got Nintendo (NES) with Mario Bros!! And Duck Hunt! (Holy S$*T!) Learning how to use a controller (wired, I might add). It was gobs of fun.
How about a watch? Nope! Or at least probably not, because you already have a digital watch that connects to your iPhone to display texts and the weather at a glance.
My memory: Swatch
This is not to say that there aren’t many, many things to purchase, wrap, and toss under the tree. But there are fewer things, somehow. No? Prove me wrong. Or maybe don’t. Memory lane is fun.