According to the findings of a telling new study dubbed “Connected Hispanics and Civic Engagement,” Hispanics now outpace every other demographic group in the United States as users of mobile phones and social media.
The report, which was released Tuesday by The Hispanic Institute, spotlights how Hispanics have used mobile technology to affect change in three important areas: immigration, education, and voter registration.
“Our research shows that Hispanics are enthusiastic consumers of wireless services,” said Gus West, Board Chair of The Hispanic Institute. “Latinos depend on mobile technology to engage with their fellow citizens – and the political process.”
The Latino community has been quick to embrace wireless services in part because of the high premium that Hispanic culture places on civic engagement and neighborly communication, the report suggests.
Incredibly, almost nine out of every ten Hispanics presently own mobile phones, compared to just eight in ten whites.
Another 53% of Hispanics use mobile devices to access the internet, while only 33% of non-Hispanic whites do the same.
“At The Hispanic Institute, we’ve witnessed the power of mobile technology in the Latino community firsthand, with our voter registration and mobilization efforts in Nevada last year,” said West. “Mobile and wireless technology have helped narrow the digital divide for Hispanics. Our new report illustrates how important mobile technology is to the Latino community – and how Hispanic consumers will use these services in the future.”
