• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, September 2, 2009

The label high-tech "gadget geeks" or "tech freaks" no longer applies just to 20- or 30-somethings who once dominated spending for "bleeding edge" technologies. Although technology adoption differs by age group, devices from cell phones to gaming consoles to high-definition (HD) televisions have begun creeping into everyday life for a variety of people, according to a new benchmark study released Wednesday from Forrester Research.

The Cambridge, Mass. research firm surveyed 53,668 households in the United States and Canada by mail, age 18 and older. The findings reveal that HD televisions were among the fastest-growing consumer technologies in 2008, with nearly 10 million new households adding HDTV sets. During the next five years, Forrester estimates that nearly 30 million homes in the United States will get their first HD set. This brings the total market for HDTVs to nearly 70%.

The Forrester data appears to confirm that there is a technology for everyone. "There's a tendency, when it comes to technology, for marketers to focus on Gen Y, Gen X and younger consumers who gobble up technology and incorporate it into their life," says Jackie Anderson, one of several Forrester analysts who authored the study. "Older consumers rely on technology to fill missing pieces in their life, such as communicating with kids who have gone off to college, so marketers need to consider messages that speak to them directly."

Anderson says grandparents also are turning to technologies that fill communication gaps in their life. For example, grandparents are introduced to technology, such as email or mobile phones, through their grandkids to keep in touch as they go through college.

Home networks take the No. 2 spot as the next-fastest technology adoption rate, following HDTV sets. During the next five years, home networks will grow at a compound aggregate growth rate (CAGR) of 14%. More than 30 million households will add network connectivity. PC penetration will near its saturation point by 2013.

The study also reveals that half of all American adults play video games. Although 69% of young families, young singles and couples play games, those without kids are 50% more likely to become hardcore gamers. These self-identified enthusiasts spend at least 10 hours per week playing games. In contrast, among older singles and couples who play video games, the majority are casual gamers -- those who don't pay for games, and whose playing time fails to reach one hour per week.

The study also finds that when it comes to technology, 83% of those with a camera phone also own a digital camera, and 26% own more than one. More than one-fourth of young singles and couples read customer ratings and reviews at least monthly, and more than 20% of older singles and couples spent more than $1,000 online in the past three months.

It's no secret that marketers need to understand the consumers buying their products and services. But understanding the consumer means realizing that the profile of the buyer has changed, according to Anderson.