Smart devices get pandemic boost in U.S. households -Deloitte survey

FILE PHOTO: An employee uses an electrocardiogram function on a Fitbit smartwatch at the IFA consumer technology fair, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Berlin, Germany September 3, 2020. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File Photo

(Reuters) - The pandemic has bolstered the use of gadgets in an average U.S. household to 25 connected devices, up from 11 in 2019, including laptops, smartphones, streaming devices, smart TVs, headphones and gaming consoles, according to a Deloitte report.

The home has become the center of activities with children learning and playing games online and adults working from home, juggling video calls, shopping digitally and conducting doctors' appointments virtually.