Short answers, pulled from the story.
Consumer electronics first entered the home in the 1920s when vacuum tubes were paired with record players to amplify sound through loudspeakers. This era marked the beginning of what Americans called black goods, a term derived from the black or dark casings that housed these new devices.
John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain invented the first working transistor in 1947 at Bell Labs. This point-contact transistor was the seed from which the entire modern electronics industry would grow, leading to significant research in solid-state semiconductors in the early 1950s.
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. Cities such as Shenzhen and Dongguan have become important production centers for the industry, attracting many consumer electronics companies such as Apple Inc.
Standby power used by consumer electronics and appliances while they are turned off accounts for 5 to 10% of total household energy consumption, costing $100 annually to the average household in the United States. Electronic devices and gadgets account for about 10% to 15% of the energy use in American homes, largely because of their number.
Desktop monitors and laptops can contribute to major physical health concerns known as repetitive strain injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome and de Quervain syndrome. Electronic use before bed is also associated with poorer sleep quality and sleep duration, which is linked to various health conditions such as obesity and diabetes.