It’s no secret that young Latinos are big fans of technology. For a group that’s always on the go, cost-conscious, and highly social with friends and family near and far, they are very proficient at making the most of whatever technology is available to them.
In 2012, Tr3s partnered with Motivo Insights and the New Generation Latino Consortium (NGLC) for the Maximo Report, a research study focusing on uncovering insights about New Generation Latinos (NGLs).
This analysis featured a quantitative online survey of Latinos and non-Hispanic whites ages 14 to 30, as well as focus groups and other discussions in New York, Los Angeles, and Houston.
The following are a few key findings from that study about how NGLs are using technology:
They use their mobile phones like personal computers. Many young Latinos live with family and share the household PC with others. For this reason, phones offer a level of privacy not available on the family computer – and many use their phones like they would a laptop. More than 1 in 5 NGLs uses a mobile phone to access the internet more than other devices. They’re 57% more likely than white non-Hispanics to use their phones in this way.
Apps and videos drive their mobile experience. Nearly 3 in 10 NGLs feel that apps are extremely important to their mobile experience – and they’re 71% more likely than non-Hispanics to have this sentiment. Just shy of 40% watch videos on their mobile phone “always” or “often” (170 index vs. white non-Hispanics).
They’re not just consuming ready-made content – they’re creating their own. Two-thirds of NGLs have shared content of their own creation online. And more than a quarter are taking existing content that they find online and remixing it in their own unique ways (123 index vs. white non-Hispanics).
Young Latinos are more digitally social. Compared with white non-Hispanics, they are considerably more likely to enjoy interacting with others on a number of platforms. They “really like” to interact via social media (130 index), phone calls (129 index), IM/chat (158 index), and video chat (161 index).
Texting is their favorite means of contact – but they feel face-to-face is most effective. When asked to consider all the ways they interact with others, texting came out on top. However, it may not always be the best way to get a point across. Of all the ways to communicate with others, they feel that in-person is most effective.
Email is for business, not pleasure. When it comes to formal communication (such as for work, school, or occasionally with parents), young Latinos turn to email. Email is one of their top means of communicating at work, ranking behind meeting in-person and talking on the phone. However, for more intimate conversations with friends and family, they prefer texting, IM, and social media.
Source: 2012 Maximo Report, Motivo Insights and NGLC; 2011 Tr3s Digital Study; 2014 Tr3s Hispanic Adult Millennial Study
