What Teens Really Want for the Holiday

While everyone might not get Taylor Swift tickets, here are the most requested gifts among teenagers.

Brooke Jordan, Reporter|January 3, 2023

Brooke Jordan

Dallastown student wearing black the “Tasman” Ugg slippers while walking in the hall.

While not everyone might not get Taylor Swift tickets, here are the most requested gifts among teenagers.

As the holidays knock on the door and travel down the chimney, students are lost as to what to ask for on their gift list. Many just list random things on their list or just give up and ask for money.

But who else knows teenagers better than their own peers? After sending out a survey to Dallastown students, it was clear what students wanted and how their answers coincided so much with one another. 

Teenagers are one of the largest clientele for the holiday gifts. The most popular trends are often upheld by the teenage market, which will be seen on their holiday wishlist.

Here are some ideas to ask for your last minute and even late wish list, or just items to spend your holiday money on. 

Clothing and Shoes

As a surprise to none, many students asked for clothing and shoes as gifts. And to be completely honest, can one ever have too many clothes and shoes? 

Taking a deeper look at the responses, one pair of shoes stuck out the most: Uggs. 

Uggs are making a comeback after a brief hiatus is something that has swept the trend cycle as well as social media. These comfy shoes have been a staple in closets for decades now.  

While not directly stated, it can be inferred that the desired style of Uggs is the Tasman slipper, a comfy, slide on shoe with a rounded out head that can be worn either while lounging in the comfort of your own home or for a casual day out. 

Just like having comfy shoes like Uggs, many teenagers asked for comfy clothing like sweatpants, sweatshirts, and comfy tees. 

Teens also recognize that when asking for clothes, it is better to be safe than sorry and just ask for gift cards to specific stores. The highly requested store gift cards were to Urban Outfitters, Target, Zara, Aerie, and Nike. 

After speaking with a few teachers, Mr.Fulton spoke about his two sons’ Christmas list, stating “…they are both more interested in the clothing they wear. So they are getting more clothes than in recent years, but unfortunately, they don’t have their dad’s sense

of style.” 

Experiences (Swiftie take over?)

Experiences are another high ticket item for teenagers. This would include concert tickets, a vacation to a nice place, or maybe even just a trip to a spa. 

There was a large winner in this category: Taylor Swift tickets.  

 Tickets to Swift’s “Eras Tour” have climbed to the top of many wish lists for this holiday season due to their high demand. Many are willing to forfeit their other presents just to get their hands on these tickets. 

Other experiences such as Future concert tickets, vacations, and even school trips like the Disney trip and video club trip to California are in high demand. 

Mrs. Yuninger plans on gifting her daughter with experiences, saying she’d “…love tickets to places like a show in the city or an amusement park.” 

Money and its versatility  

The saying “cash is king” is a tale as old as time. There’s nothing more versatile than money. All of these ideas plus more can be bought with money. 

A large chunk of teenagers opted for the choice to get money for the holidays rather than a concrete gift. Or some even settled for gift cards too. 

Mrs. Gibson’s daughter even turned down the chance of getting art supplies. Gibson stated that “..she’d rather have Starbucks certificates because she often denies herself those little luxuries.” 

Money allows for teens to buy exactly what they want without the possibility of it being the wrong item that often happens a lot when others buy gifts for them.

Finding gifts for teenagers isn’t hard, as long as you communicate with them as well as think about the latest trends. 

And for all the teenagers reading this, make sure you appreciate all the gifts you receive from people this year, even if it’s not what you asked for.