2016-07-19-皮尤-Digital_Divide_Narrows_for_Latinos_24页_558kb

Summary of "Digital Divide Narrows for Latinos as More Spanish Speakers and Immigrants Go Online"

Core Content

This report from the Pew Research Center, released in July 2016, analyzes the trends in internet use and broadband access among Latinos in the U.S. It highlights the narrowing digital divide between Latinos and non-Hispanic whites, driven by increased online adoption among Spanish-dominant and immigrant Latinos. The data is based on the 2015 National Survey of Latinos, conducted on landline and cellular telephones, and compares findings with earlier Pew surveys from 2009, 2010, and 2012.

Main Points

• Internet Use Growth Among Latinos
  Internet use among Latino adults increased from 64% in 2009 to 84% in 2015, reducing the gap with non-Hispanic whites from 16 percentage points to 5 percentage points.

  • Immigrant Latinos and Spanish-dominant Latinos made the largest gains in internet use.
  • U.S.-born Latinos are more likely to use the internet than foreign-born Latinos, but the gap is narrowing.
  • Internet use among Spanish-dominant Latinos increased from 36% in 2009 to 74% in 2015, while bilingual and English-dominant groups saw smaller increases.

• Broadband Access
  Broadband subscription rates among Latinos have remained largely unchanged since 2010, with 46% in 2015.

  • The gap between U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinos in broadband access is significant: 61% vs. 35%.
  • Educational attainment and income levels are strongly correlated with broadband access.
  • Among Hispanics, 80% use a mobile device to access the internet, similar to the rates among blacks and whites, though still lower than the overall U.S. population.

• Mobile Internet Access
  Mobile internet use is becoming increasingly common among Latinos, with 80% accessing the internet via a mobile device.

  • Younger and more educated Latinos are more likely to use mobile devices.
  • Spanish-dominant and foreign-born Latinos are more likely to rely on mobile devices rather than home broadband.
  • "Smartphone dependent" individuals (those without home broadband but using mobile devices) are more common among Latinos and blacks than whites.

Key Information

• Demographic Trends in Internet Use

  • Age: Internet use among Hispanics is over 90% for those under 50, but drops to 67% for those 50–64 and 42% for those 65+.
  • Education: Hispanics with less than a high school education have lower internet use (67%), while those with at least some college experience have higher use (95%).
  • Income: Those with family incomes under $30,000 have lower internet use (79%), while those with $50,000 or more have nearly universal use (97%).
  • Nativity: U.S.-born Latinos are more likely to use the internet than foreign-born Latinos (91% vs. 78%).
  • Language Dominance: English-dominant and bilingual Hispanics are more likely to use the internet than Spanish-dominant Hispanics (94% vs. 74%).

• Broadband Access by Subgroup

  • Age: Broadband use is highest among 18–29-year-olds (59%) and declines with age, reaching 21% for those 65+.
  • Nativity: U.S.-born Latinos are twice as likely to have broadband as foreign-born Latinos (61% vs. 35%).
  • Language Dominance: English-dominant and bilingual Hispanics are more likely to have broadband (65% and 56% respectively) than Spanish-dominant Hispanics (21%).
  • Education: High school graduates have a 47% broadband subscription rate, while those with some college or more have a 69% rate.

• Mobile Internet Access

  • Usage: 80% of Latino adults access the internet via mobile devices.
  • Demographics: Younger and more educated groups are more likely to use mobile internet.
  • Smartphone Dependency: A higher percentage of Latino and black smartphone users are "smartphone dependent" (23% and 19% respectively) compared to white users (10%).

Methodology and Data Sources

• The survey included 1,500 Latino adults across the U.S., using a dual-frame landline/cellphone design.
• Sampling: The survey used a stratified approach, with oversampling in areas with higher Latino populations.
• Interviews: Conducted by SSRS, with bilingual interviewers available in English and Spanish.
• Response Rates: 45% of respondents were interviewed in Spanish, 55% in English.
• Margin of Error: ±3.3 percentage points for the total sample at the 95% confidence level.

Conclusion

The digital divide between Latinos and non-Hispanic whites has narrowed significantly since 2009, primarily due to increased internet adoption among Spanish-dominant and immigrant Latinos. While broadband access remains relatively stable for Latinos, mobile internet use is rising, with younger and more educated individuals leading the trend. The report underscores the importance of language and nativity in shaping internet access patterns and highlights the need for targeted efforts to improve connectivity among less-educated and older Latino populations.