I saw a cartoon the other day illustrating a family driving in a car with the mother in the passenger seat looking at her phone and stating to all, “The blender just texted — we forgot to turn off the stove.”
Sound familiar? We may not be there yet, but we are close.
A telecommunications company mailed me a newsletter last week with an article that referenced a 2021 survey from Deloitte indicating that the average U.S. household now has 25 connected devices, up from 11 in the 2019 survey.
“Impossible,” I said.
Then I started adding them up. My cell phone. Jolene’s cell phone. Two iPads. Two Apple watches. Two laptops. A home computer. Two Apple TVs. A Firestick. A Ring doorbell. A Nest thermostat. A MyQ garage door opener. Three Amazon Echos. Two wireless headphone sets. That brings me to 20, and I haven’t counted in the kids’ devices yet. Yikes.
According to the newsletter, the pandemic has played a big part in this progression, changing how we communicate and interact. Many activities that used to take place outside the home now take place inside the home, redefining “homework.”
Here are a few other surprising findings from the Deloitte report:
• More than half of U.S. adults had virtual doctor visits, and 82 percent were satisfied with the experience.
• More than half of U.S. households have a smartwatch or fitness tracker.
• During the pandemic, 70 percent of consumers started mobile ordering or other smartphone-based retail and expect to continue to do so.
• Two-thirds of U.S. households have some type of smart home devices.
• Thirty-one percent of Americans admit to feeling overwhelmed by the number of devices and subscriptions they need to manage.
Ready or not, the future is here. Meet George Jetson.
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305 | 
