Technology has greatly influenced people's everyday lives. Now, it's completely changing the way we give presents on special occasions.

A study conducted by eGifter, an online gifting platform, revealed the current trends in digital gifting and how mobile devices and social media has changed consumer behavior in buying gifts.

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This study, released on February 4, surveyed more than 1,200 U.S. buyers to explore consumer behavior and how emerging technologies have influenced their decisions when buying gifts.

In the list of trending gifts, gift cards topped the list for all age groups. When it comes to the most preferred gift that people want to receive, gift cards remain in the lead.

Clothing takes second place with more than 50 percent of all age groups that considered giving clothing even if it's the gift most likely to be returned.

Social media plays a vital role in the gift-giving process. The study found that 19 percent of gift shoppers admitted that social media reminders like Facebook's birthday calendar partly urged them to give a gift last year.

More than half of those people never even planned on giving a gift in the first place, but social media influenced their decisions.

The study also found the popular occasions people regard as important times for gifting. These are the holiday season, family and relatives' birthday and Mother's Day.

For consumers, the most difficult person to buy gifts for are their spouse (76%), their mothers (75%) and mothers-in-law.

Additionally, male consumers are more likely to shop online but females are more likely to give gifts for many occasions.

The study concludes that online gifting has become the primary method of gift giving.

Technology might have made gift giving much easier for both consumers and retailers but people are still trying to get the right gifts and to make the more personalized.

According to the survey, the top concern among consumers isn't the method of buying the gift but the thoughtfulness that comes with it.

TagseGifter, gift, gift card, cloth, valentine's, Mother's Day, mother, mother-in-law