Innovation is one o f the last key drivers of competitiveness and growth for the U.S. in the twenty-first century. Open innovation is a
buzzword when it comes to new product development. While customers have been regularly involved in the research and development process using various qualitative and quantitative marketing research methods, they were never considered co-creators o f products an d services. Scholarly research in marketing has focused on the adoption an d use o f new products with limited research on the design an d creation process. The advent of the internet a n d its facilities for information access an d symmetry has resulted in an increase in direct customer participation in the value discovery an d value creation process. Certain customers are not just lead users but lead contributors of ideas for the next generation of products. Further, the usage behaviors o f younger consumers when it comes on online an d new media technologies set them up as market bellwethers. This study defines and measures the technological innovativeness o f youth an d considers the impact of key variables on this measure. Using Multiple Linear Regression, significant impact o f the three independent variables - Creative, Passion, an d Expertise on the dependent variable - propensity for
Technological Innovations was found . Future research directions to expand the conceptual model and managerial implications o f the research are also forwarded.