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According to the study of the Public Policy Institute of California (ppeak in English), 52 percent of Latinos have Internet connection in the state, while the percentage for other ethnic groups, including whites, African Americans and Asians, is nearly 90 percent.

Also, only 39 percent of Latinos have a broadband service, which facilitates the use of internet.

Those older adults of 55 years from households with incomes lower than $ 40,000 per year and located in rural areas who have less access to this technology.

This is what I called the #39, #39 digital divide, we have seen for several years now, and is not new, but somewhat worrying, he told Efe Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

For the scholar, this situation is worrying because every day more and resources are available only via internet.

Also, Hayes-Bautista said that the gap is much more significant in adults.

Without a doubt, youth are much more connected and know how to develop on the Internet or their cell phones, added the doctor.

But others believe that surveys such as this gives a partial view of Latinos inthe state.

The Latinos in California are a very diverse group. We are both professionals and entrepreneurs and farmers and students. To actually measure the gap, we should consider the different groups separately, he told Efe Professor Leo Chavez, University of California at Irvine.

However, Chavez said that the lack of resources in education may actually be damaging to Latinos than other groups.

Although the cuts to public education has been severe over the past year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently proposed the use of digital textbooks in the coming years.

Mark Baldassare, author the study, said that the government should take action to prevent the growth of this gap.

The majority of Californians believed that the Internet is now a necessity not a luxury. Our government should devote more resources to close this gap, said Baldassare.

Despite the low percentage in use, the survey indicates that the importance of this technology is recognized by 73 percent of Latinos as a good resource for information, educational and social.

ppeak indicates that 58 percent of Californians shopping online, while 55 percent seek information on topics of health and 51 percent on government resources, as their children's education.

Also, use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, rose in eleven percentage points compared last year, from 26 percent to 37 percent.

The interest in our community. The Internet is a valuable resource in which we are learning more and more about a variety of subjects, that keeps us connected to what is happening in other countries, and so on. I think that is something that everyone should know how to use at least the most basic, said Chavez.

The survey was done in the past 2 to June 16, with information from 2502 adultos.EFE