A recent survey by OTX on teenager’s Internet habits shows that over half of the 750 13 - 17 year olds surveyed had made online purchases.

On average, these teenagers are spending $46 per month, with 26% spending $50 or more.

When the segment who have made purchases online were asked what they bought:

- Clothing, Shoes & Accessories 46%
- Music 41%
- Books 30%
- Electronics 27%
- DVDs 20%

Teenagers may not be as gung-ho as us oldies (well, me anyway) may think. 78% expressed concern about computer viruses, 67% about identity theft, 60% scams and 60% spam - so the guidelines for reassuring your visitors and minimizing cart abandonment still apply even to this demographic.

Something I did find particularly surprising is the amount of time they spend online. The study found that teens are spending an average of a measly 11.5 hours online; and get this, they prefer reality over virtual reality in many aspects of their lives.

Hah! Haven’t any of these kids watched the Matrix movies? Reality? Hah again!

82% stated they would prefer to shop in a store over shopping online. Looks like the malls of the world are safe for a while longer.

You can read more of the OTX report on Teens’ Online Behavior here (pdf)