U.S. consumers are consolidating their devices, eliminating outdated ones to make room for new ones that better serve their needs, according to the fourth annual Deloitte Connected Consumer survey. The study found that while 48 percent of consumers purchased a minimum of one new connected device this year, the average number of devices per household fell to 21 in 2023 from 25 in 2021, “when many loaded up on technology during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Although many consumers may be attempting to streamline their digital lives, they remain very interested in virtual experiences and tech innovation.

VentureBeat interprets the findings as consumers are “adopting a more strategic approach to device consumption.” Managing the increasing number of devices and subscriptions is a challenge for many consumers who crave simplicity, with 41 percent of respondents indicating they “dislike managing their devices, while 28 percent say managing tech devices and subscriptions is ‘overwhelming,’” according to Deloitte’s news summary.

The need for tech companies to support customers as they navigate the digital landscape and help them strike a balance between their natural and connected lives is a key finding of the study, according to the consulting firm.

While consumers cut back on their devices (only 16 percent of those surveyed added three or more new devices to their households), there is a “growing interest in immersive 3D experiences,” notes VentureBeat. “More than 6 in 10 Gen Z respondents and over half of millennials expressed interest in learning, socializing and shopping through 3D platforms.”

Generative AI is also building momentum, “with 17 percent of respondents reporting experimentation or utilization of generative AI for personal, educational or professional purposes,” suggesting an “increasing awareness and adoption of AI technologies among consumers,” adds VentureBeat.

TechRepublic focused on the “economic uncertainty and hybrid and remote work” anxieties that the study found to be driving many of today’s workplace trends: “The report’s results about employee behavior can help business leaders retain employees by meeting them where they want to be, whether physically or in terms of how they use technology in everyday life.”

Overall, 56 percent of workers said they prefer remote or hybrid work options for future employment, a 6-point increase from 2022, according to Deloitte.

Consumer security concerns have also grown, with 58 percent worrying that their devices are vulnerable to security breaches (an increase from 50 percent in 2022), while the same number “worry that organizations or people could track them through their devices (up from 41 percent in 2022).”

Smart home devices have become indispensable and are often being used to help increase home security, according to Deloitte Vice Chair and U.S. Technology Sector Leader Paul Silverglate, who points out that:

• Among consumers surveyed, 34 percent were victim to at least one kind of security breach in the past year, and 16 percent  experienced two or more.
• Gen Zs were more than twice as likely as boomers to have their social media account hacked (17 percent vs. 8 percent) and three times more likely than baby boomers to fall for an online scam (16 percent vs. 5 percent).
• Smart home devices that most owners consider essential all relate to home safety, including smart door locks, smart smoke detectors, security systems and doorbells with cameras.