Internet World Stats > Internet Usage > United States of
America
Demographics and Growth
of Hispanic
Internet Usage in United States
Internet Usage and
Projected Future Usage Report
APRIL 27, 2006
New report, Hispanic Youth Online:
Language and Culture Define Usage.
The Hispanic youth market is one
of the toughest of all consumer demographic groups to understand.
Hispanic people in the US share a common language but come from
many different countries. Some are first-generation immigrants,
others are the children of immigrants and still others have
grandparents or great-grandparents who were born in the US.
Some speak only Spanish; others don't know the language. Still
others use Spanish in some environments, English in others, or a
mixture of the two called Spanglish. Many Hispanic youth live in
two worlds: one dominated by the culture and traditions of their
family history, and the other full with iPods, MySpaces, mobile
phones and hip-hop music of the general USA youth culture.
There were 15.7 million Hispanic Internet users in the US in
2005, according to eMarketer. This total will rise to 16.7
million in 2006 and by 25%, to reach nearly 21 million, by 2010.
This means that by 2010 the number of Hispanic Internet users
will approach the number of African-American users.
In addition, the US Hispanic population is young, particularly
online. In 2005, there were 9.1 million estimated Hispanic
Internet users under the age of 35 and this estimate will rise to
12.1 million in 2010, according to research company
eMarketer. The Hispanic youth explosion will continue and by 2010,
one-third of all Hispanic people in the US will be under 18.
In many respects, the Hispanic youth market looks and feels like
the greater youth market. Blogging, mobile phones, social
networking, music and entertainment are all popular
activities. Surveys show that Hispanic youth use the Internet
more than older Hispanic Americans, and it is also likely that
the Internet impacts more on their lives.
For Hispanic youth, there's an added dimension that sets them
apart from the general market: Their cultural heritage and their
language choices make for multiple identities, both online and
off. Today, the media message to young Hispanic Americans is,
"You don't have to speak Spanish to feel Hispanic."
They hold their heritage in high regard and make an effort to preserve it
regardless of how much Spanish they speak.
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