Conversely, rates of TV ownership fell slightly, compared to last year's survey, from 82% to 79%--suggesting the increasing role of computers as personal entertainment centers.

At the same time, laptops are displacing desktops as the computer of choice: from 2007-2008, laptop ownership rose from 63% to 70%, while desktop ownership fell from 59% to 53%.

The surge in laptop ownership probably reflects increasing memory and display quality, which makes them more suitable for multimedia consumption, as well as their traditional advantage of mobility. College students place a high premium on mobility, with MP3 ownership jumping from 58% in 2007 to 67% in 2008.

Alloy also examined the use of online social networks like Facebook and MySpace, where it uncovered some significant gender differences. For example, girls are more likely to post photos than boys (82% of girls versus 60% of boys)--but boys are more likely to post videos than girls (31% of boys versus 24% of girls).