Parents Of College Students Spending Hundreds On High Tech Gear For Their Kids

By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The National Retail Federation says parents of college students will spend a little more than $700 buying stuff so their kids can live in a dorm room. High tech gear can gobble up a chunk of that.

From laptops to tablets and game systems, tech can cost a lot more than bed sheets, but you also might get more mileage out of some of it.

Wearable tech is the new must-have, according to Best Buy blueshirt Matthew McLane.

"The Samsung Gear 2 Neo is a fitness tracker, along with a smart watch, so you hopefully help to try to avoid the Freshman 15 by tracking your steps. It has a heart rate monitor along with that, and you can also get notifications directly to that watch with phone calls, emails, app notifications."

Meaning, you don't have to lug a second piece of gear along. McLane says cyber security is a big concern for kids leaving the nest, advising them to be conscious that it's not their father's WiFi hotspot any more.

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