consumer electronics

{{Main|History of electronic engineering}}

File:Radio&TV store 1961.jpg

For its first fifty years, the phonograph turntable did not use electronics; the needle and sound horn were purely mechanical technologies. However, in the 1920s, radio broadcasting became the basis of the mass production of radio receivers. The vacuum tubes that had made radios practical were used with record players as well. This was to amplify the sound so that it could be played through a loudspeaker. Television was invented soon after, but remained insignificant in the consumer market until the 1950s.

The first working transistor, a point-contact transistor, was invented by John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain at Bell Labs in 1947, which led to significant research in the field of solid-state semiconductors in the early-1950s.{{Cite book|title= The information age : economy, society and culture|last= Manuel|first= Castells |date= 1996|publisher= Blackwell|isbn= 978-0631215943|location= Oxford|oclc= 43092627}} The invention and development of the earliest transistors at Bell led to transistor radios, in turn promoting the emergence of the home entertainment consumer electronics industry starting in the 1950s. This was largely due to the efforts of Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (now Sony) in successfully commercializing transistor technology for a mass market, with affordable transistor radios and then transistorized television sets.{{cite book |last1=Hagiwara |first1=Yoshiaki |chapter=Microelectronics for Home Entertainment |editor-last1=Oklobdzija |editor-first1=Vojin G. |title=The Computer Engineering Handbook |date=2001 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-8493-0885-7 |page=41-1 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=38Aj3CjHgc8C&pg=SA41-PA1 |access-date=25 November 2019 |archive-date=30 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630125859/https://books.google.com/books?id=38Aj3CjHgc8C&pg=SA41-PA1 |url-status=live }}

Integrated circuits (ICs) followed when manufacturers built circuits (usually for military purposes) on a single substrate using electrical connections between circuits within the chip itself. IC technology led to more advanced and cheaper consumer electronics, such as transistorized televisions, pocket calculators, and by the 1980s, video game consoles and personal computers affordable for regular middle-class families.

Beginning in the 1980s and continuing through the early 2000s, many consumer electronics, such as televisions and stereo systems, underwent digitization. The introduction of compact discs (CDs) and personal computers during this period signalled a broader shift as digital computer technology and digital signals were increasingly integrated into consumer devices. This transformation significantly altered their functionality and led to improved performance, such as enhanced image quality in televisions. These advancements were largely driven by Moore’s Law, which enabled rapid increases in processing power and reductions in cost and size.{{cite book |last1=Dhir |first1=Amit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dswWzEZuMRQC&dq=consumer+electronics+integrated+circuits+cheaper&pg=PA2 |title=The Digital Consumer Technology Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Devices, Standards, Future Directions, and Programmable Logic Solutions |date=30 April 2004 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-08-053041-3}}

In 2004, the consumer electronics industry was worth US $240{{spaces}}billion annually worldwide, comprising visual equipment, audio equipment, and games consoles. The industry became global, with Asia Pacific having a 35% market share, Europe having 31.5%, the US having 23%, and the rest of the world owning the remainder. Major players in this industry are household names like Sony, Samsung, Philips, Sanyo, and Sharp.{{Cite journal |last1=Sodhi |first1=M. S. |last2=Lee |first2=S. |date=2007 |title=An Analysis of Sources of Risk in the Consumer Electronics Industry |journal=The Journal of the Operational Research Society |volume=58 |issue=11 |pages=1430–1439 |doi=10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602410 |jstor=4622837 |pmid=32226176 |pmc=7099209 |issn=0160-5682}}

The increase in popularity of such domestic appliances as 'white goods' is a characteristic element of consumption patterns during the golden age of the Western economy.{{Cite journal |last=Paris |first=Ivan |date=2013 |title=White Goods in Italy during a Golden Age (1948-1973) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43829418 |journal=The Journal of Interdisciplinary History |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=83–110 |doi=10.1162/JINH_a_00502 |jstor=43829418 |issn=0022-1953|url-access=subscription }} Europe's White Goods industry has evolved over the past 40 years, first by changing tariff barriers, and later by technical and demand shifts. {{Cite journal |last1=Baden-Fuller |first1=Charles W. F. |last2=Stopford |first2=John M. |date=1991 |title=Globalization Frustrated: The Case of White Goods |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2486522 |journal=Strategic Management Journal |volume=12 |issue=7 |pages=494 |doi=10.1002/smj.4250120703 |jstor=2486522 |issn=0143-2095|url-access=subscription }} The spending on domestic appliances has claimed only a tiny fraction of disposable income, rising from 0.5{{spaces}}percent in the US in 1920 to about 2{{spaces}}percent in 1980. Yet, the sequence of electrical and mechanical durables have altered the activities and experiences of households in America and Britain in the twentieth century. With the expansion of cookers, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washing machines, radios, televisions, air conditioning, and microwave ovens, households have gained an escalating number of appliances. Despite the ubiquity of these goods, their diffusion is not well understood. Some types of appliances diffuse more frequently than others. In particular, home entertainment appliances such as radio and television have diffused much faster than household and kitchen machines."{{Cite journal |last1=Bowden |first1=Sue |last2=Offer |first2=Avner |date=1994 |title=Household Appliances and the Use of Time: The United States and Britain Since the 1920s |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2597714 |journal=The Economic History Review |volume=47 |issue=4 |pages=725 |doi=10.2307/2597714 |jstor=2597714|url-access=subscription }}

{{see also|List of electronics brands|Category:Consumer electronics|Electronics industry}}

File:CoCo3system.jpg computer system, from the 1980s]]

Consumer electronics devices include those used for: {{cite web | url=http://www.hoovers.com/industry-facts.consumer-electronics-manufacturing.1171.html | title=Consumer Electronics Manufacturing Industry Overview | publisher=Hoover's | access-date=9 September 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720152108/http://www.hoovers.com/industry-facts.consumer-electronics-manufacturing.1171.html | archive-date=20 July 2014 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}

• Entertainment (Flatscreen TVs, television sets, MP3 players, video recorders, DVD players, radio receivers, etc.)
• Communications (telephones, mobile phones, email-capable personal computers, desktop computers, laptops, printers, paper shredders, etc.)
• Recreation (digital cameras, camcorders, video game consoles, ROM cartridges, radio-controlled cars, robot kits, etc.).

Consumer electronics products such as the digital distribution of video games have become increasingly based on the internet and digital technologies. The consumer electronics industry has primarily merged with the software industry in what is increasingly referred to as the consumerization of information technology.

File:Samsung LE26R41BD and Yamada DVD player 20030624.jpg television set]]

One overriding characteristic of consumer electronic products is the trend of ever-falling prices. This is driven by gains in manufacturing efficiency and automation, lower labor costs as manufacturing has moved to lower-wage countries, and improvements in semiconductor design.{{cite web|url=http://www.qualitydigest.com/inside/quality-insider-news/china-moves-automate-electronics-manufacturing.html|title=China Moves to Automate Electronics Manufacturing|author=Mike Deng|date=23 October 2012|publisher=Quality Digest|access-date=11 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412182015/http://www.qualitydigest.com/inside/quality-insider-news/china-moves-automate-electronics-manufacturing.html|archive-date=12 April 2013|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} Semiconductor components benefit from Moore's law, an observed principle which states that, for a given price, semiconductor functionality doubles every two years.

While consumer electronics continues in its trend of convergence, combining elements of many products, consumers face different purchasing decisions. There is an ever-increasing need to keep product information updated and comparable for the consumer to make an informed choice. Style, price, specification, and performance are all relevant. There is a gradual shift towards e-commerce web-storefronts.

Many products include Internet access using technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE, or Ethernet. Products not traditionally associated with computer use (such as TVs or Hi-fi equipment) now provide options to connect to the Internet or to a computer using a home network to provide access to digital content. The desire for high-definition (HD) content has led the industry to develop a number of technologies, such as WirelessHD or ITU-T G.hn, which are optimized for distribution of HD content between consumer electronic devices in a home.

The consumer electronics industry faces consumers with unpredictable tastes on the demand side, supplier-related delays or disruptions on the supply side, and production challenges occurring in the process. The high rate of technology evolution or revolution requires large investments without any guarantee of profitable returns. As a result, the big players rely on global markets to achieve economies of scale. Even these companies sometimes have to cooperate with each other, for instance on standards, to reduce the risk of their investments.{{Cite journal |last1=Sodhi |first1=M. S. |last2=Lee |first2=S. |date=2007 |title=An Analysis of Sources of Risk in the Consumer Electronics Industry |journal=The Journal of the Operational Research Society |volume=58 |issue=11 |pages=1430–1439 |doi=10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602410 |jstor=4622837 |pmid=32226176 |pmc=7099209 |issn=0160-5682}} In supply chain management, there is much discussion on risks related to such aspects of supply chains as short product lifecycles, high competition combined with cooperation, and globalization. The consumer electronics industry is the very embodiment of these aspects of supply chain management and related risks. While some of the supply and demand related risks are similar to such industries as the toy industry, the consumer electronics industry faces additional risks due to its vertically integrated supply chains. There are also numerous supply-chain-wide contextual risks that cut across the supply chain especially impacting companies with global supply chains. These include cultural differences in multinational operations, environmental risk, regulations risk, and exchange rate risk across multiple countries.{{Cite journal |last1=Sodhi |first1=M. S. |last2=Lee |first2=S. |date=2007 |title=An Analysis of Sources of Risk in the Consumer Electronics Industry |journal=The Journal of the Operational Research Society |volume=58 |issue=11 |pages=1431 |doi=10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602410 |jstor=4622837 |pmid=32226176 |pmc=7099209 |issn=0160-5682}} Whether or not demand is comparable across countries affects the extent of the gains from international integration. In addition, consumer preferences change over time to disturb existing patterns of behavior. A feature of some industries is that demand for variety increases as the market moves from first-time buying to replacement demand.{{Cite journal |last1=Baden-Fuller |first1=Charles W. F. |last2=Stopford |first2=John M. |date=1991 |title=Globalization Frustrated: The Case of White Goods |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2486522 |journal=Strategic Management Journal |volume=12 |issue=7 |pages=495 |doi=10.1002/smj.4250120703 |jstor=2486522 |issn=0143-2095|url-access=subscription }} A resource to further understand this idea of consumer preferences can be observed through Lizabeth Cohen's book titled, "A Consumers' Republic", "Only if we have large demands can we expect large production".{{Cite journal |title=A Consumers' Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2468-1733_shafr_sim270040180 |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=The SHAFR Guide Online |page=116|doi=10.1163/2468-1733_shafr_sim270040180 |url-access=subscription }}

{{main|Electronics industry}}

{{see also|Electronics industry in Japan|Electronics industry in China|Electronics industry in Bangladesh}}

The electronics industry, especially consumer electronics, emerged in the 20th century and has become a global industry worth billions of dollars. Contemporary society uses all manner of electronic devices built-in automated or semi-automated factories operated by the industry.

{{main|Electronics industry}}

{{see also|Electronic packaging}}

File:Berliner Grammophon Hannover.jpg factory in Hannover-Nordstadt]]

Most consumer electronics are manufactured in China, due to maintenance cost, availability of materials, quality, and speed as opposed to other countries such as the United States.{{cite web | url=http://www.sddt.com/commentary/article.cfm?Commentary_ID=140&SourceCode=20140811tbc&_t=Why+cant+the+US+build+consumer+electronic+products#.VA7b2RbOP-k | title=Why can't the US build consumer electronic products? | work=San Diego Source | date=11 August 2014 | access-date=9 September 2014 | author=Baker, Phil | archive-date=21 April 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421125834/http://www.sddt.com/Commentary/article.cfm?Commentary_ID=140&SourceCode=20140811tbc&_t=Why+cant+the+US+build+consumer+electronic+products#.VA7b2RbOP-k | url-status=dead }} Cities such as Shenzhen and Dongguan have become important production centers for the industry, attracting many consumer electronics companies such as Apple Inc.{{cite web|first=Craig|last=Gamble|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/shenzhen-in-china-becomes-a-power-source-for-the-electronics-industry-20140820-105h3g.html|title=Shenzhen in China becomes a power source for the electronics industry|work=Brisbane Times|date=22 August 2014|access-date=9 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825000543/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/shenzhen-in-china-becomes-a-power-source-for-the-electronics-industry-20140820-105h3g.html|archive-date=25 August 2014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.china2west.com/manufacturing-in-china-city-guide-dongguan/ |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=www.china2west.com}}

{{main|Electronic component}}

An electronic component is any essential discrete device or physical entity in an electronic system used to affect electrons or their associated fields. Electronic components are mostly industrial products, available in a singular form, and are not to be confused with electrical elements, conceptual abstractions representing idealized electronic components.

{{see also|Software development}}

Consumer electronics such as personal computers use various types of software. Embedded software is used within some consumer electronics, such as mobile phones.{{cite web | url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2601743/microsoft-announces-two-lumia-phones-always-on-cortana-and-clever-new-mobile-accessories.html | title=Microsoft announces two Lumia phones, always-on Cortana, and clever new mobile accessories | work=PC World | date=4 September 2014 | access-date=11 September 2014 | author=Hachman, Mark | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910202325/http://www.pcworld.com/article/2601743/microsoft-announces-two-lumia-phones-always-on-cortana-and-clever-new-mobile-accessories.html | archive-date=10 September 2014 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }} This type of software may be embedded within the hardware of electronic devices.{{cite web | url=http://news.oneindia.in/2008/04/13/electronics-hardware-consumption-poised-to-touch-360-bln-by-2015-1208100729.html | title=Electronics hardware consumption poised to touch *360 bln by 2015 | publisher=One India | date=13 April 2008 | access-date=11 September 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912075559/http://news.oneindia.in/2008/04/13/electronics-hardware-consumption-poised-to-touch-360-bln-by-2015-1208100729.html | archive-date=12 September 2014 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }} Some consumer electronics include software that is used on a personal computer in conjunction with electronic devices, such as camcorders and digital cameras, and third-party software for such devices also exists.

Some consumer electronics adhere to protocols, such as connection protocols "to high speed bi-directional signals".{{cite web | url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US20120287942 | title=Signal Converter of Consumer Electronics Connection Protocols (US 20120287942 A1) | publisher=IFI CLAIMS Patent Services | date=15 November 2012 | access-date=12 September 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915104711/http://www.google.com/patents/US20120287942 | archive-date=15 September 2014 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }} In telecommunications, a communications protocol is a system of digital rules for data exchange within or between computers.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) trade show has taken place yearly in Las Vegas, Nevada since its foundation in 1973. The event, which grew from having 100 exhibitors in its inaugural year to more than 4,500 exhibiting companies in its 2020 edition, features the latest in consumer electronics, speeches by industry experts and innovation awards.{{cite web|first=Tim|last=Hornyak|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2601560/jack-wayman-founder-of-ces-trade-show-dies-at-92.html|title=Jack Wayman, founder of CES trade show, dies at 92|work=PC World|date=2 September 2014|access-date=9 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910215742/http://www.pcworld.com/article/2601560/jack-wayman-founder-of-ces-trade-show-dies-at-92.html|archive-date=10 September 2014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}

The IFA Berlin trade show has taken place in Berlin, Germany since its foundation in 1924. The event features new consumer electronics and speeches by industry pioneers.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest professional society, has many initiatives to advance the state of the art of consumer electronics. IEEE has a dedicated society of thousands of professionals to promote CE, called the Consumer Electronics Society (CESoc).IEEE Consumer Electronics Society, http://cesoc.ieee.org/ [https://ctsoc.ieee.org/] IEEE has multiple periodicals and international conferences to promote CE and encourage collaborative research and development in CE. The flagship conference of CESoc, called IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE), is in its 35th year.

• IEEE Transactions on Consumer ElectronicsSimon Sherratt, Editor-in-Chief (EiC), IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, https://ctsoc.ieee.org/publications/ieee-transactions-on-consumer-electronics.html [https://ctsoc.ieee.org/publications/ieee-transactions-on-consumer-electronics.html].
• IEEE Consumer Electronics MagazineSaraju P. Mohanty, Editor-in-Chief (EiC), IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine, http://cesoc.ieee.org/publications/ce-magazine.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712122612/http://cesoc.ieee.org/publications/ce-magazine.html |date=12 July 2016 }}.
• IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE)IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE), http://www.icce.org/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723150212/http://www.icce.org/ |date=23 July 2016 }}

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) [https://www.computer.org/ Computer Society] also have initiated a conference to research on next generation consumer electronics as Smart Electronics. IEEE Computer Society, https://www.computer.org/ The conference, named IEEE Symposium on Smart Electronics Systems ([https://www.ieee-ises.org/ IEEE-iSES]) is on its 9th year.IEEE International Symposium on Smart Electronic Systems, https://www.ieee-ises.org/

{{See also|Consumer electronics store}}

File:Gigantti Kokkola 20190612.jpg store in Kokkola, Finland]]

Electronics retailing is a significant part of the retail industry in many countries. In the United States, dedicated consumer electronics stores have mostly given way to big-box stores such as Best Buy, the largest consumer electronics retailer in the country,{{cite magazine | url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20140125/ISSUE01/301259976/why-consumer-electronics-retailers-are-the-next-record-store | title=Why consumer electronics retailers are the next record store | magazine=Crain's Chicago Business | date=27 January 2014 | access-date=11 September 2014 | author=Murphy, H. Lee}} although smaller dedicated stores include Apple Stores, and specialist stores that serve, for example, audiophiles, such as the single-branch B&H Photo store in New York City. Broad-based retailers, such as Walmart and Target, also sell consumer electronics in many of their stores. In April 2014, retail e-commerce sales were the highest in the consumer electronic and computer categories as well.{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/11/us-retail-ecommerce-sales_n_5134269.html | title=US Retail Ecommerce Sales Highest for Computers, Consumer Electronics | work=The Huffington Post | date=11 April 2014 | access-date=11 September 2014 | author=eMarketer | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912094310/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/11/us-retail-ecommerce-sales_n_5134269.html | archive-date=12 September 2014 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }} Some consumer electronics retailers offer extended warranties on products with programs such as SquareTrade.{{cite web | url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hold-off-extended-warranties-until-you-read-this/ | title=Hold off extended warranties until you read this | publisher=CBS News (Moneywatch) | date=19 December 2011 | access-date=11 September 2014 | author=Sherman, Erik | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912092236/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hold-off-extended-warranties-until-you-read-this/ | archive-date=12 September 2014 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}

{{Category see also|Consumer electronics retailers}}

An electronics district is an area of commerce with a high density of retail stores that sell consumer electronics.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology/20599573 | title=Look round Shenzhen's Electronics District | work=BBC News | date=8 December 2012 | access-date=20 July 2016 | last=Cellan-Jones | first=Rory | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722142010/http://www.bbc.com/news/technology/20599573 | archive-date=22 July 2016 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}

{{Category see also|Electronics districts}}

{{see also|Electronics technician}}

Consumer electronic service can refer to the maintenance of said products. When consumer electronics have malfunctions, they may sometimes be repaired.

In 2013, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the increased popularity in listening to sound from analog audio devices, such as phonographs, as opposed to digital sound, has sparked a noticeable increase of business for the electronic repair industry there.{{cite web | url=http://www.post-gazette.com/business/businessnews/2013/08/18/Electronic-repair-industry-gets-second-wind/stories/201308180223 | title=Electronic repair industry gets second wind | work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | date=18 August 2013 | access-date=11 September 2014 | author=Todd, Deborah M. | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407232611/http://www.post-gazette.com/business/businessnews/2013/08/18/Electronic-repair-industry-gets-second-wind/stories/201308180223 | archive-date=7 April 2015 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }}

File:Mobile_Phone_Evolution_1992_-_2014.jpg.]]

A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, or hand phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while the user is moving within a telephone service area. The radio frequency link establishes a connection to the switching systems of a mobile phone operator, which provides access to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Modern mobile telephone services use a cellular network architecture and, therefore, mobile telephones are called cellular telephones or cell phones in North America. In addition to telephony, digital mobile phones (2G) support a variety of other services, such as text messaging, MMS, email, Internet access, short-range wireless communications (infrared, Bluetooth), business applications, video games and digital photography. Mobile phones offering only those capabilities are known as feature phones; mobile phones which offer greatly advanced computing capabilities are referred to as smartphones.{{cite book |last1=Srivastava |first1=Viranjay M. |last2=Singh |first2=Ghanshyam |title=MOSFET Technologies for Double-Pole Four-Throw Radio-Frequency Switch |date=2013 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=9783319011653 |page=1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fkO9BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 |access-date=1 October 2021 |archive-date=30 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230630125858/https://books.google.com/books?id=fkO9BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 |url-status=live }}

A smartphone is a portable device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, which facilitate wider software, internet (including web navigation over mobile broadband), and multimedia functionality (including music, video, cameras, and gaming), alongside core phone functions such as voice calls and text messaging. Smartphones typically contain a number of MOSFET integrated circuit (IC) chips, include various sensors that can be leveraged by pre-included and third-party software (such as a magnetometer, proximity sensors, barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer and more), and support wireless communications protocols (such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or satellite navigation).

{{main|List of telecom companies in India|Mobile phone industry in Japan|Mobile phone industry in Russia|l1 = Mobile phone industry in India|Mobile phone industry in South Korea|Page 4 = }}

File:Guide to Greener Electronics 2017.svg

In 2017, Greenpeace USA published a study of 17 of the world's leading consumer electronics companies about their energy and resource consumption and the use of chemicals.[https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/reports/greener-electronics-2017/ Guide to Greener Electronics 2017] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113113437/https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/reports/greener-electronics-2017/ |date=13 January 2011 }} Greenpeace USA, 2017

Electronic devices use thousands of rare metals and rare earth elements (40 on average for a smartphone), these materials are extracted and refined using water and energy-intensive processes. These metals are also used in the renewable energy industry meaning that consumer electronics are directly competing for the raw materials.{{Cite web|title=The myth of the green cloud|url=https://www.eib.org/en/stories/digital-footprint|access-date=2020-09-17|website=European Investment Bank|language=en|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414035732/https://www.eib.org/en/stories/digital-footprint|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Infographic: The Carbon Footprint of the Internet – ClimateCare|url=https://climatecare.org/infographic-the-carbon-footprint-of-the-internet/|access-date=2020-09-17|language=en-GB|archive-date=5 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305081930/https://climatecare.org/infographic-the-carbon-footprint-of-the-internet/|url-status=live}}

The energy consumption of consumer electronics and their environmental impact, either from their production processes or the disposal of the devices, is increasing steadily. EIA estimates that electronic devices and gadgets account for about 10%–15% of the energy use in American homes – largely because of their number; the average house has dozens of electronic devices.[http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/ "Heating and cooling no longer majority of US home energy use"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402032921/http://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/ |date=2 April 2015 }}. EIA.gov The energy consumption of consumer electronics increases – in America and Europe – to about 50% of household consumption if the term is redefined to include home appliances such as refrigerators, dryers, clothes washers and dishwashers.

Standby power – used by consumer electronics and appliances while they are turned off – accounts for 5–10% of total household energy consumption, costing $100 annually to the average household in the United States.{{Cite web| title = 3 Easy Tips to Reduce Your Standby Power Loads| last1 = Chu| first1 = John| website = Energy.gov| publisher = United States Department of Energy| date = 1 November 2012| access-date = 10 September 2014| url = http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/3-easy-tips-reduce-your-standby-power-loads| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140910222654/http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/3-easy-tips-reduce-your-standby-power-loads| archive-date = 10 September 2014| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}} A study by United States Department of Energy's Berkeley Lab found that videocassette recorders (VCRs) consume more electricity during the course of a year in standby mode than when they are used to record or playback videos. Similar findings were obtained concerning satellite boxes, which consume almost the same amount of energy in "on" and "off" modes.{{Cite web| title = Please Stand By: Reduce Your Standby Power Use| last1 = Lippert| first1 = John| website = Energy.gov| publisher = United States Department of Energy| date = 17 August 2009| access-date = 10 September 2014| url = http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/please-stand-reduce-your-standby-power-use| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140911010754/http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/please-stand-reduce-your-standby-power-use| archive-date = 11 September 2014| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}

A 2012 study in the United Kingdom, carried out by the Energy Saving Trust, found that the devices using the most power on standby mode included televisions, satellite boxes, and other video and audio equipment. The study concluded that UK households could save up to £86 per year by switching devices off instead of using standby mode.{{cite web |last=Harvey |first=Fiona |author-link=Fiona Harvey |date=26 June 2012 |title=Leaving appliances on standby 'can cost UK households up to £86 a year' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jun/26/appliances-standby-cost-households-energy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910204647/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jun/26/appliances-standby-cost-households-energy |archive-date=10 September 2014 |access-date=9 September 2014 |work=The Guardian |df=dmy-all}} A report from the International Energy Agency in 2014 found that $80{{spaces}}billion of power is wasted globally per year due to inefficiency of electronic devices.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-02/electronic-devices-waste-80-billion-of-power-a-year-iea-says.html|title=Electronic Devices Waste $80 Billion of Power a Year, IEA Says|first=Matthew|last=Carr|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|date=2 July 2014|access-date=9 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910195603/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-02/electronic-devices-waste-80-billion-of-power-a-year-iea-says.html|archive-date=10 September 2014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} Consumers can reduce unwanted use of standby power by unplugging their devices, using power strips with switches, or by buying devices that are standardized for better energy management, particularly Energy Star-marked products.

File:ewaste-pile.jpg: discarded electronic equipment]]

A high number of different metals and low concentration rates in electronics means that recycling is limited and energy intensive. Electronic waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Many consumer electronics may contain toxic minerals and elements,{{cite web | url=http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php/2014/09/08/normal-is-recycling-your-out-of-date-electronics/ | title=Normal is recycling out-of-date electronics | work=Vidette Online | publisher=Illinois State University | date=8 September 2014 | access-date=9 September 2014 | author=Moreno, Julia | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910200002/http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php/2014/09/08/normal-is-recycling-your-out-of-date-electronics/ | archive-date=10 September 2014 | url-status=live | df=dmy-all }} and many electronic scrap components, such as CRTs, may contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, dioxins, or brominated flame retardants. Electronic waste recycling may involve significant risk to workers and communities and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaking of materials such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes. However, large amounts of the produced electronic waste from developed countries is exported, and handled by the informal sector in countries like India, despite the fact that exporting electronic waste to them is illegal. Strong informal sector can be a problem for the safe and clean recycling.{{cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2071920,00.html |title=Is India's E-Waste Problem Spiraling Out of Control? |last1=Bhowmick |first1=Nilanjana |date=23 May 2011 |magazine=Time |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008145727/http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2071920,00.html |archive-date=8 October 2014 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}

E-waste policies have evolved since the 1970s, with priorities shifting over time. Initially, the focus was on safer disposal methods due to the toxic materials often found in electronic waste. Over the years, attention turned to the recovery of valuable metals and plastics that could be recycled. More recently, the emphasis has shifted once again, this time toward reusing entire devices. New guidelines promoting 'preparation for reuse' highlight the growing importance of repair and reuse, signaling a gradual change in public and policy attitudes.

With turnover of small household appliances high and costs relatively low, many consumers will throw unwanted electrical goods in the normal dustbin, meaning that items of potentially high reuse or recycling value go to landfills. While more oversized items such as washing machines are usually collected, it has been estimated that the 160,000 tonnes of EEE in regular waste collections were worth £220{{spaces}}million. 23% of EEE (Electrical and electronic equipment) taken to Household Waste Recycling Centres was immediately resalable – or would be with minor repairs or refurbishment. This indicates a lack of awareness among consumers about where and how to dispose of EEE and the potential value of things that are going in the bin.

For the reuse and repair of electrical goods to increase substantially in the UK, some barriers must be overcome. These include people's mistrust of used equipment in terms of whether it will be functional, safe and the stigma for some of owning second-hand goods. But the benefits of reuse could allow lower-income households access to previously unaffordable technology while helping the environment at the same time.Cole, C., Cooper, T. and Gnanapragasam, A., 2016. Extending product lifetimes through WEEE reuse and repair: opportunities and challenges in the UK. In: Electronics Goes Green 2016+ Conference, Berlin, Germany, 7–9 September 2016

Desktop monitors and laptops can contribute to major physical health concerns known as repetitive strain injuries. For example, when users are forced to bend to see electronic screens better, they may experience chronic neck and back pains. The best-known disease in this category is carpal tunnel syndrome. Other conditions include de Quervain syndrome, a condition that affects tendons in the thumb.{{Cite web |date=2015-07-12 |title=Health Risks of Electronic Devices |url=http://thewip.net/2015/07/12/health-risks-of-electronic-devices/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170603223638/http://thewip.net/2015/07/12/health-risks-of-electronic-devices/ |archive-date=3 June 2017 |access-date=2017-05-26 |website=The Women's International Perspective |df=dmy-all}}

Electronic use before bed is also associated with poorer sleep quality and sleep duration.{{Cite journal |last1=Pham |first1=Hue Thi |last2=Chuang |first2=Hsiao-Ling |last3=Kuo |first3=Ching-Pyng |last4=Yeh |first4=Tzu-Pei |last5=Liao |first5=Wen-Chun |date=2021-08-24 |title=Electronic Device Use before Bedtime and Sleep Quality among University Students |journal=Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) |volume=9 |issue=9 |pages=1091 |doi=10.3390/healthcare9091091 |doi-access=free |issn=2227-9032 |pmc=8466496 |pmid=34574865}} Poor quality, shorter sleep is associated with various health conditions such as obesity and diabetes.{{Cite journal |last1=St-Onge |first1=Marie-Pierre |last2=Grandner |first2=Michael A. |last3=Brown |first3=Devin |last4=Conroy |first4=Molly B. |last5=Jean-Louis |first5=Girardin |last6=Coons |first6=Michael |last7=Bhatt |first7=Deepak L. |last8=American Heart Association Obesity, Behavior Change, Diabetes, and Nutrition Committees of the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health; Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young; Council on Clinical Cardiology; and Stroke Council |date=2016-11-01 |title=Sleep Duration and Quality: Impact on Lifestyle Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association |journal=Circulation |volume=134 |issue=18 |pages=e367–e386 |doi=10.1161/CIR.0000000000000444 |issn=1524-4539 |pmc=5567876 |pmid=27647451}}

• Digital electronics
• Electronics industry
• List of home appliances
• Timeline of electrical and electronic engineering

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• {{cite web

|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-etiquette-21-dos-and-donts-for-2015-1420222724

|title=Tech Etiquette: 21 Do's and Don'ts

|author=Kevin Sintumuang

|date=2 January 2015

|work=The Wall Street Journal

}}

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{{Subject bar |Electronics|Technology|Engineering|Telecommunication|Radio|Television

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Category:Electronics industry