New Report Confirms That Black Millennials Rule the Internet

By Sameer Rao Oct 17, 2016

A new Nielsen consumer report affirms what anyone who’s ever used Twitter already knows: Black young adults are using the internet and digital media technology to change the future.

"Young, Connected and Black" proves that Black millennials are using digital technologies to empower social justice movements, start businesses and affirm their identities at an increasing rate.

Nielsen reports that 91 percent of African Americans primarily access the internet via mobile devices, making them "the second-largest multicultural group for mobile device ownership." The report cites both #BlackLivesMatter and #OscarsSoWhite as evidence of young Black people’s powerful use of social media to uplift influential campaigns.

Drawing on data from the 2015 U.S. Census Survey of Business Owners, the report also says that in a five-year period between 2007 and 2012, the number of majority Black-owned businesses grew by 34 percent. "Female-owned businesses were the majority of Black businesses in 2012; at over 1.5 million businesses, they represent 59 [percent] of all Black businesses and 15 [percent] of all female-owned businesses," added the report. But despite the increase in digital engagement, only 8 percent of those businesses explicitly focus on "professional/scientific/technical services."