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Latinos and Digital Technology
Phoenix, Arizona – Latinos are less likely than whites to access the
internet, have a home broadband connection or own a cell phone,
according to survey findings from the Pew Hispanic Center, a project
of the Pew Research Center. Latinos lag behind blacks in home
broadband access but have similar rates of internet and cell phone
use.
While about two-thirds of Latino (65%) and black (66%) adults went
online in 2010, more than three-fourths (77%) of white adults did so.
In terms of broadband use at home, fewer than half (45%) of Latinos
have it, while two-thirds (65%) of whites and more than half of
blacks (52%) have home broadband access. Fully 85% of whites
owned a cell phone in 2010, compared with 76% of Latinos and 79%
of blacks.
Hispanics, on average, have lower levels of education and earn less
than whites. Controlling for these factors, the differences in internet
use, home broadband access and cell phone use between Hispanics
and whites disappear. In other words, Hispanics and whites who
have similar socioeconomic characteristics have similar usage
patterns for these technologies.
Survey questions also probed for the use of non-voice applications
on cell phones. Respondents were asked specifically about whether
they access the internet and whether they use email, texting or
instant messaging from a cell phone. The findings reveal a mixed
pattern of non-voice cell phone application use across ethnic and
racial groups. Hispanics are less likely than whites to use any non-
voice applications on a cell phone (58% vs. 64). But when the
sample is limited to cell phone owners, there are no differences
between Hispanics, whites or blacks in the likelihood of using non-
voice data applications (77% of Hispanics, 75% of whites and 79% of
blacks do so).
Though they are no more likely than whites to access the internet
from a cell phone, Hispanics are more likely to do so in lieu of a home
internet connection. Some 6% of Latinos report that they access the
internet from a cell phone but have no internet access at home. This
rate is the same for blacks, but notably higher than the rate for
whites (1%).
This report is based on two national surveys. The first, the Pew
Hispanic Center's 2010 National Survey of Latinos, is a nationally
representative bilingual telephone survey of 1,375 adults ages 18
and older. Interviews were conducted from August 17 through
September 19, 2010. The second, the Pew Internet and American
Life Project's August 2010 Health Tracking Survey, is a national
representative telephone survey of 3,001 adults, conducted from
August 9 through September 13, 2010.
The report, Latinos and Digital Technology, 2010, authored by
Gretchen Livingston, Senior Researcher, Pew
Hispanic Center, is available at the Pew Hispanic Center's website, www.
pewhispanic.org
internet, have a home broadband connection or own a cell phone,
according to survey findings from the Pew Hispanic Center, a project
of the Pew Research Center. Latinos lag behind blacks in home
broadband access but have similar rates of internet and cell phone
use.
While about two-thirds of Latino (65%) and black (66%) adults went
online in 2010, more than three-fourths (77%) of white adults did so.
In terms of broadband use at home, fewer than half (45%) of Latinos
have it, while two-thirds (65%) of whites and more than half of
blacks (52%) have home broadband access. Fully 85% of whites
owned a cell phone in 2010, compared with 76% of Latinos and 79%
of blacks.
Hispanics, on average, have lower levels of education and earn less
than whites. Controlling for these factors, the differences in internet
use, home broadband access and cell phone use between Hispanics
and whites disappear. In other words, Hispanics and whites who
have similar socioeconomic characteristics have similar usage
patterns for these technologies.
Survey questions also probed for the use of non-voice applications
on cell phones. Respondents were asked specifically about whether
they access the internet and whether they use email, texting or
instant messaging from a cell phone. The findings reveal a mixed
pattern of non-voice cell phone application use across ethnic and
racial groups. Hispanics are less likely than whites to use any non-
voice applications on a cell phone (58% vs. 64). But when the
sample is limited to cell phone owners, there are no differences
between Hispanics, whites or blacks in the likelihood of using non-
voice data applications (77% of Hispanics, 75% of whites and 79% of
blacks do so).
Though they are no more likely than whites to access the internet
from a cell phone, Hispanics are more likely to do so in lieu of a home
internet connection. Some 6% of Latinos report that they access the
internet from a cell phone but have no internet access at home. This
rate is the same for blacks, but notably higher than the rate for
whites (1%).
This report is based on two national surveys. The first, the Pew
Hispanic Center's 2010 National Survey of Latinos, is a nationally
representative bilingual telephone survey of 1,375 adults ages 18
and older. Interviews were conducted from August 17 through
September 19, 2010. The second, the Pew Internet and American
Life Project's August 2010 Health Tracking Survey, is a national
representative telephone survey of 3,001 adults, conducted from
August 9 through September 13, 2010.
The report, Latinos and Digital Technology, 2010, authored by
Gretchen Livingston, Senior Researcher, Pew
Hispanic Center, is available at the Pew Hispanic Center's website, www.
pewhispanic.org
Press Release February 8, 2011
According to a report, Hispanics
and whites who have similar
socioeconomic characteristics have
similar usage patterns for these
technologies.
Photo by Eduardo Barraza | Barriozona
and whites who have similar
socioeconomic characteristics have
similar usage patterns for these
technologies.
Photo by Eduardo Barraza | Barriozona
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