The sight of more Latinos around the U.S. using smartphones and internet-capable devices to get their news of the day will be very common in the coming years, according to the latest studies.

A new survey recently released by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) in the College of Business showed that roughly four out of five younger Latinos are relying on the use of social media as their primary source for news. The statistics compiled by the university illustrate that younger Latinos, specifically those within the 18 to 34 age bracket coveted by most advertisers, are the most likely among the Hispanic demographic to use social media to keep abreast of news at 84 percent. Meanwhile, only 48 percent of Latinos ages 55 and above say they do not use social media in any way to get news.

The poll, part of a monthly survey conducted by the university as a way to measure consumer optimism among Hispanics, also found that Latinos with a college degree are among those most likely to frequent the internet as their main source of news at 52 percent, compared to 32 percent of overall Hispanics polled who do not. In addition, regarding politics news, more than 68 percent of Latinos polled who make the most money, at $75,000 or more annually, surf the internet at least once a day to check out what's going on in the world of politics.

What this means, according to a statement from Monica Escaleras, Ph.D., director of BEPI, is that social media " will have a huge impact on elections since it is an opportunity to be in touch with large number of voters quickly, constantly and at a low cost."

"Anyone that wants to reach Hispanics, especially the younger generation, needs to recognize the growing role that the Internet and social media are playing," added Kevin Wagner, associate professor of political science at FAU, in a statement.

With the internet playing a larger role in the lives of Latinos -- the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. -- as far as getting information on a daily basis, it should probably come as no surprise that more Latinos in the U.S. are turning to smartphones and tablets. A new study recently conducted by Specific Media, a Viant company and SMG Multicultural, revealed that digital media may be the key to reaching out to Latinos for advertisers and marketers as more and more Hispanics continue to be pulled into the internet daily.

The Specific Media survey showed that 26 percent of Hispanic Americans are spending a greater amount of their time on the internet via smartphones (compared to 20 percent of non-Hispanics). The number of Latinos using tablets to surf the web compared to non-Latinos is also higher, with 16 percent of Latinos using tablets compared to 13 percent non-Hispanics.

Latinos are also more likely to buy items on mobile devices, the study finds. That is key, as 83 percent of Hispanics are spending more time on the internet compared to non-Hispanics and are quadrupling their time spent online purchasing through websites or apps.

Meanwhile, among websites, the social media site Facebook is the most popular site for Latinos and non-Latino audiences, but the highest amount of unique visitors from English-preferred Latinos is enjoyed by Amazon. More Spanish-leaning Latinos, in terms of unique viewers, seem to gravitate towards YouTube, but overall, it looks like Hispanics are using the search engine Bing to surf the web, while non-Hispanics are sticking with Google.

What this means, according to officials related with the company, is that with more and more Hispanics beginning to use mobile devices, marketers and advertisers should start thinking of ways to engage with the rapidly-growing demographic through those devices.

Jon Schulz, Chief Marketing Officer at Viant, Specific Media's parent company, certainly seems to think so.

"Our findings prove that there are many different consumer profiles, each multi-tasking simultaneously between TV, online channels and apps, presenting new opportunities for marketers. The Hispanic American audience is a unique one in that they are leading the market in mobile engagement," Schulz said in a statement.

Marla Skiko, EVP, Director of Digital Innovation, SMG Multicultural, adds that with more Latinos using online apps and mobile devices, bringing Latinos into consideration during the development of online and app-centric "calls to action" will become "increasingly meaningful."

"There is no longer a general market, and it is imperative for marketers to take a targeted and custom approach, one that goes outside traditional media and embraces multicultural consumers across every platform," Skiko said in a statement.