Technology Of Liberation: The Use Of Mobile Phones In Spanish Culture

Spanish cultures in USA and in Latin American are embracing mobile phones in record number. Cell phones have become a necessity for social and economical change empowering people to share fresh perspectives, and start new businesses. Spanish Americans use cell phones everywhere, and are not averse to discussing their personal lives in public. Latinos are happy to answer calls in restaurants, in business meetings, conferences, and sometimes during concerts. Most Spanish speaking Americans feel an obligation to be available to friends, colleagues, and customers at all times.

The growing reach of cell phones in all areas of Spanish society is resulting in greater use of mobile apps. Some of the most popular apps for the Android phone include Mint and Morgan Stanley to help people keep track of their money. Latinos also use apps such as Facebook to keep in touch with family in their country of origin. Latinos also favor Clean Master app from Cheetah Mobile to keep their phones working efficiently. According to the Nielsen report, more than 94% of Spanish speaking Americans claim to have a cell phone, with 53% of these owning smartphones and some still preferring prepaid mobiles.

The emergence of the Spanish community as an early adopter to the mobile platform has even caught the attention of the American government. New York governor Andrew Cuomo has recently announced a pilot program for Spanish speaking persons in New York to get access to language lessons on their phones. Additionally, the government is working on more educational programs with Cell-ED to help improve literacy using cellphones.

Given their tech fascination, Latinos favor cell phones as the key tool for bridging the digital divide. Latinos under 35 are even more glued to their smart phones as consumers of Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Drake, Selena Gomez, Janelle Monae and more. The younger generation puts a premium on authenticity, creativity, scarcity, and distinctiveness. Creating a two-way conversation through social channels allows both the young and older Spanish-speaking consumers around the world to provide input to popular culture, and better control for the future through their cell phones.