IS IT TRUE LOVE, OR ARE WE CRAZY ABOUT OUR GADGETS?

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

With their high-def TV and houseful of gizmos, the Mojicas are more plugged in than a blockful of Christmas lights - and hungry for the hottest in holiday digitalia.

``My sons are gadget heads. They want everything that comes out - and I pay for it, depending on their grades,'' said Rosa Mojica, 34, of Winnetka, shopping for two $300 iPod Videos at Best Buy. ``We have to keep up to date with all the new technology.''

The Mojicas are not alone. Millions of Americans have turned into high- tech junkies, according to a poll on gadgets released Wednesday. They gab on smart phones. Saunter with iPods. Surf on laptops. And slay monsters - and their friends - on the latest digital gaming devices.

Nearly half of personal computer owners say they can't imagine life without them, while almost the same number of cell-phone users wouldn't dream of going mobile without ring tones.

The plugged-in habit doesn't come cheap: more than one-third of the nation's households report spending more than $200 a month for cell phone, Internet and cable connections.

The coast-to-coast poll, conducted last week by Associated Press-Ipsos, suggested a marriage between Americans and their digital machines.

``It's true, there is a love affair with digital technology in this country,'' said Jenny Pareti, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Electronics Association, host of the blockbuster International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month.

``We are now looking at future trends in robotics ... refrigerators that order your food online and stoves that turn on 15 minutes before you get home.''

The average American owns 25 consumer electronic gadgets, from MP3 music players to digital cameras to desktop PCs to flat-panel TVs.

This holiday season, revenues from electronic devices are expected to jump 9 percent, according to CEA estimates, with $17 billion in factory sales.

While MP3 players such as Apple iPods top holiday wish lists, digital cameras and video-game consoles are right behind.

For many families, it's the kids who pry their parents' purses.

``It's crazy, they don't even want any clothes any more, they just want gadgets - anything that's hip,'' said Sonia Quiroz, 33, of Orange, shopping for a $400 Xbox360 game station and a $1,000 laptop for two teens.

While Quiroz discussed prices on a cell phone, her 4-year-old son gunned down soldiers on a nearby Xbox. ``You need a part-time job just to keep up with the gadgets,'' she said.

Among the AP poll findings:

--Between 75 percent and 88 percent of U.S. households contain at least one VCR, CD and DVD player, cell phone and personal computer.

--Roughly one in three households have an electronic game console, portable game device and a high-definition TV.

--One in four own an MP3 player and a DVR recorder such as TIVO. Fourteen percent subscribe to satellite radio.

While 61 percent had high-speed Internet connections, 46 percent said they couldn't imagine living without their personal computer.

``I couldn't live without my PC,'' said Jay Kang, 19, of Reseda, shopping for an iPod to play tunes in his car. ``The research, the music, the contact with friends.''

Analysts say consumers are hotter than ever before to chuck their gadgets for the latest gizmos. Many would rather die, they say, before being seen with a 5-year-old video recorder.

``We are replacing devices at three to five times the rate of old radios and TVs,'' said Richard Doherty, an analyst of consumer gadget trends for the Envisioneering Group in New York. ``Mostly, we get more bang for the buck - the performance doubles every 18 months.

``We have definitely become a throwaway-gadget society.''

For Mojica, it means paying between $600 and $700 a month to pay for her cell phone, cable and Internet connections, she said. But it's worth it, especially the 61-inch high definition TV.

``I couldn't live without it,'' she said. ``I couldn't live without my TV.''

Some, however, are growing weary of the hassle.

``I sometimes say, I've just had it with all these gadgets 'cause you have to learn about them, read the manuals,'' said Allison Sullivan, 59, of Woodland Hills. ``Sometimes it's just too much.''

Dana Bartholomew, [phone]

dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Alex Aguilar, 10, checks out the latest cell phones at Best Buy in Canoga Park.

(2 -- color) The XBox 360 video game at the Best Buy in Canoga Park might just be a tad out of reach for 4-year-old Dominic Garcia.

(3 -- color) Sonia Quiroz, 33, of Orange, knows what presents to buy this season for the young people on her shopping list. ``It's crazy, they don't even want any clothes anymore. They just want gadgets.''

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer