Rising sales of robotic dogs during COVID-19 pandemic

In an age marked by increased social isolation, especially among the elderly, more vulnerable to COVID-19, sales of robotic pets have surged in the United States. 

Recent studies like this one which was underwritten by United Healthcare and AARP have demonstrated that seniors who ‘adopt’ robotic pets can significantly improve mood and cognitive function.

Greg Olsen, who directs New York’s Office for the Aging, is quoted in Wired  saying that seniors often “cry” when they receive virtual dogs. Olsen also told Wired that the Office for the Aging ‘“found that 70 percent of pet adoptees indicated a reduction or significant reduction in feeling isolated after one year.”