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You would think most 12-17 year-olds would be getting hot under the collar over the Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus. Not so.

It seems the wayward youth of today has given that honour to a golden oldie – Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

A survey by Junior Achievement, an organisation that educates students on matters related to future employment, found that the Apple boss is the most admired entrepreneur among teenagers.

Of the 1,000 teens questioned, 35% gave Mr Jobs the thumbs up followed by 25% for Oprah, 16% for skateboarder Tony Hawk and a dismal 10% for twenty-something Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The Olsen twins came further down the pecking order, as did fashion model Kimora Lee Simmons with 4%.

Of the people who choose Mr Jobs, 61% cited him because “he made a difference in/improved people’s lives or made the world a better place.”

Testament to the power of shiny gadgets like the iPod and the iPhone for you.

“We live in a celebrity-obsessed culture, so it’s no surprise that teens admire famous entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Oprah Winfrey who have built brands around their personas as well as around their products,” said Jack Kosakowski, president of Junior Achievement USA.

Still, it is interesting to see a tech titan like Mr Jobs leap ahead of Oprah – which might mean that a lot of youngsters are truly interested in science and technology as a career and not TV fame.

Highly encouraging in one way – shiny new gadgets win out over celeb froth