Figure 1 Internet Trends, Use and Cellphone Ownership Trends, 2009 2012 (% saying they juse the internet or send or receive email at least occasionally) Internet use is on the rise among all racial and ethnic groups Uses the internet
Latinos own smartphones, go online from a mobile device and use social networking sites at similar—and sometimes higher—rates than do other groups of Americans, according to a new analysis of three surveys by the Pew Research Center.
The analysis also finds that when it comes to using the internet,1 the digital divide between Latinos and whites is smaller than what it had been just a few years ago. Between 2009 and 2012, the share of Latino adults who say they go online at least occasionally increased 14 percentage points, rising from 64% to 78%.2 Among whites, internet use rates also increased, but only by half as much—from 80% in 2009 to 87% in 2012.
Over the same period, the gap in cellphone ownership between Latinos and other groups either diminished or disappeared. In 2012, 86% of Latinos said they owned a cellphone, up from 76% in 2009.
Figure 1  | Internet Trends, Use and Cellphone Ownership  | Trends, 2009 2012  | (% saying they juse the internet or send or receive  | email at least occasionally)  | Internet use is on the rise among all racial and ethnic  | groups  | 100%  | Uses the internet  | 90  | 30  | 78  | White  | 80  | 72  | 78  | Black  | 770  | 64  | Hispanic  | 6%,  | 2000  | 2012  | (% saying they own a cellphone)  | cellphone but sonly minority groups are seeing a rise in  | cellphone ownership groups  | 100%  | Owns a cellphone  | 90  | 90 86  | White  | 86  | Black  | 30 84  | 84  | Hispanic  | 76  | 70  | 6900  | 2012  | 2010  | Note: Blacks and whites include only non-Hispanics Hispanics  | are of any race  | Source: For Hispanics Pew Hispanic Center National blacks Survey  | of Latinos For 2009, 2010 and Pew 2012; Hispanic for whites and blacks Survey Pew  | of Research Latinos Media Center 2009, 2010 for the and People 2012; Survey, & for the whites Press June and blacks 2012  | Biennia Media Consump People tion Survey, Pew Research Center's  | Tracking Internet & American Life Project Se ptember.2012 Tracking Health  | Tracking September-2009 Survey Reputation August 2010 Management Hea 1th Tracking Survey, Survey and  | Tracking September-2009 Reputation August Management Tracking Survey, Survey  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 