What is the "Digital Gap" Affecting Latinos and How to Counter it?

A new study sheds light on the so-called "digital gap" and the way Latinos in the U.S. are affected by it, putting them in disadvantage with respect to other demographics when it comes to advancing their interests.

The document, published by the Aspen Institute, uses two sources of information: a survey by the Pew Research Center and the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS). And while they show contrasting data in some categories, they match in others that are key to understand the extent of this divide.

One of them is the lack of home computing devices. Both sources show a gap of roughly 12% to 14% between Latinos and Whites, 68.9% and 81.1%, respectively. There is no significant gap when it comes to smartphone access, but the extent to which they rely on them as their main method of connection varies significantly.

According to the Pew study, out of those who own a smartphone, 12% of whites and 25% of Latinos use it as their sole method of connecting to the internet, meaning a gap of 13%. "Those households that rely only on cellphone data connections may be at a disadvantage to perform activities such as telework or to fully access virtual education opportunities," reads a passage of the study.

As for access to broadband internet, Pew estimated that roughly 80% of white people surveyed had access to it through a computer device and 12% through smartphone. That contrasts with the figures regarding Latinos: 65% had access to broadband through a home device and 25% through smartphone.

"Latinos lag behind considerably in access to broadband through a home-based computer. Estimates of total broadband access that include access through cellular networks hide the fact that desktop devices and fixed broadband internet are superior in accessing needs like healthcare and education. Research ought to focus on the reasons for this disparity and highlight policies that increase the share of Latinos with access to home-based broadband access and computers," concludes the study, which highlighted federal policies such as the Affordable Connectivity Program, which grants discounts on high-internet bills and a discount towards the purchase of a digital device.