In a search of New York Times articles, the first occurrence of the phrase "high technology" occurs in a 1957 story advocating "atomic energy" for Europe:"...Western Europe, with its dense population and its high technology..."

The twelfth occurrence, in 1968, is, significantly, in a story about Route 128, described as Boston's "Golden Semicircle": It is not clear whether the term comes from the high technologies flourishing in the glass rectangles along the route or from the Midas touch their entrepreneurs have shown in starting new companies.

An increasing number of high-technology industries in the modern economy are based on computer-like systems: computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video game consoles, televisions, smart mobile phones, digital content devices and many other consumer electronics products.