Why and How Tech Creates New Ways for Hispanic Families to Bond

If you’re Latino, you already know that for us, la familia is above anything else. Our parents ensure that we stay connected to our tíos and tías, abuelas and abuelos, and even our primos.

Previously, these connections were formed through traditional activities like cooking together or spending a vacation visiting a relative, but tech has introduced new ways for Hispanic families to bond.

In this article, I’m going to be exploring the reasons why tech usage in Hispanic homes is growing, along with some of the ways you can use tech to create engaging, immersive, and entertaining family experiences.

The Reasons Behind a Digital Twist in Hispanic Family Bonding

Hispanic homes are adopting digital technologies faster than previous generations. This widespread adoption is the result of a range of social and economic factors. Most notably, these include the ones I’ve shared below.

Easier Internet Access

I’m not saying the digital divide doesn’t exist, it’s sadly still there, with Hispanic homes having limited access to high-quality internet services because of reasons such as lower income, education levels, as well as language barriers.

However, many major internet providers, like Xfinity, for example, are making efforts to change that by offering bilingual assistance. Spanish-speaking homes can quickly set up with a fast and reliable connection by reaching out to the Xfinity Servicio al Cliente en Español.

Growing Younger Generation

Younger Hispanic individuals are generally tech-savvy. They grew up in a time when access to technology became more common through different parts of life, whether it’s education, home, or work.

All of this results in a better understanding of how different technologies can help their families and also reduces the barriers to implementation. These factors, paired with the convenience, automation, and efficiency that such technologies can add to a home, may be pushing their adoption.

Growing Socioeconomic Status

The incomes of Hispanic households are still far behind their white counterparts, but they have and continue to gradually grow.

To top that, many Hispanic individuals are taking an entrepreneurial route, which may also significantly boost their annual incomes. This increased income may remove the cost-related barriers associated with using different technologies, fueling adoption.

Well, that about covers the major reasons we’re seeing an increased use of technology among Hispanic homes. Now let’s take a look at some of the ways various technologies clear the way for newer forms of family bonding.

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How Tech Helps Create New Family Bonding Activities

From video calls to virtual field trips and everything in between, there are many ways that Hispanic homes can use tech to educate, entertain, and connect their families with the world around them as well as with their culture.

Let’s take a look at each of them.

Virtual Communication

Video calling software such as Google Meet or Zoom allow Hispanic homes in America to connect and regularly communicate with those living back home. This helps bridge the high costs of frequently travelling back or the traditional way of making international calls.

Both sides can enjoy important moments such as passing blessings, celebrating holidays, events or parties, opening gifts, sharing recipes or even a casual chat. They can also share special moments as photos or videos by creating family groups on instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, keeping the whole family informed of what’s going on.

Online Gaming

If done right, gaming is one of the best ways to fuse entertainment with education about Hispanic culture and create long-lasting family bonds along the way.

For example, you could encourage your kids and their primos to enjoy soccer matches, whether it’s on mobile, PC (Personal Computer), or even console games. Or you could try the digital version of the classic Loteria (similar to Bingo) to allow the whole family to get in on the fun by supporting multiple players.

Regardless of which Hispanic nation you’re originally from, you can find a culturally relevant digital version of different traditional games for the whole family to enjoy.

Virtual Field Trips

Technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) can help add an immersive touch to education through virtual field trips.

These are, like the name suggests, are accurate online replications of real-life destinations that the whole family can “visit” and even engage with. For example, you could be sitting in El Paso and be touring an important historical site back home.

Many Latin cultural museums also offer a virtual tour of their buildings, creating a well-balanced mix of convenience, cost-effectiveness, personalization, and familial and cultural connection.

Cost-Effective Music and Movies

Previously, listening to new music or watching a new movie meant you needed to buy a lot of physical media and supporting devices.

For example, with music, you needed to have either a radio or a deck, and a cassette or CD. For movies, you needed to rent or buy new titles as CDs, and have a device like a DVD player connected to your TV.

Today, there’s less than half of that work needed. You can use music streaming apps such as Spotify and video streaming apps such as Netflix to create your own personal in-home concert or cinema. Each of these apps also offer a lot of culturally relevant Hispanic content, balancing family time with cultural education.

Technology – Powering New Ways for Hispanic Family Connections

Technology has paved the way for new ways for Hispanic families to create strong bonds both among themselves, with other family members as well as their culture and identity. As these technologies advance in capabilities, they may add an even higher level of convenience, immersivity, and engagement for Hispanic families all across the world.