In an age where everything is digital, young people are overwhelmingly surveying the media for content to inform their spiritual curiosity. More than 97% of religious people said something in the media had “spiritually moved, inspired, or comforted them” in a study conducted by the Templeton World Charity Foundation and the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA. 

The study, entitled “The Future of Faith: Young People, Media, and & Spirituality,” surveyed over 2,000 young people ages 16-24 and performed focus groups with almost 100 young people ages 14-24. Study respondents identified as evangelical Christian, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Mormon, Sikh, mainline Protestant, Hindu, and Buddhist, in addition to agnostic, atheist, and spiritual nonreligious.

As platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have emerged at the forefront of the mediascape over the last decade, and as Gen Z is becoming more interested in faith, it begs the question: how do young people interact with their faith in such a media-saturated environment?

“More than 60% of young religious people insisted that the core of their faith practice took place in traditional faith spaces or in a combination of those spaces and online media,” the study found. Survey respondents also reported watching online content such as YouTube videos to research belief and non-belief. The study found that one respondent, a 23-year-old Mormon male, said he has utilized such things to help them determine what the truth is.

While young religious people still named their parents and local faith leaders as their most trusted source of information on religious topics, almost 80% of respondents report using apps purposed for “spiritual” or “religious” functions at least occasionally. The study further found that fewer than half of respondents in almost every faith group felt that the representations of their religion in the media were accurate. 

Additionally, 68% of this Gen Z and Gen Alpha group report “connecting with friends or peers online through spiritual or religious content.” Tim Echols, an executive director at Family Research Council and founder of TeenPact, a Christian nonprofit for cultivating student leadership, told The Washington Stand that connection can lead to sharing the gospel.

“The fact that two-thirds of young people connect with peers and friends about religious content represents a huge opportunity for the church and ministries like Family Research Council,” Echols shared. “Young people can be evangelists and disciple makers right from their phone if they are properly equipped.” 

While young people enjoy discussing faith with each other, some have found the world to be hostile to religion. The Future of Faith study additionally found that “over 60% of respondents from both religious and non-religious groups said something they saw in the media has made them feel less comfortable or safe expressing their beliefs,” while about 55% of “respondents from most religious groups said religious content they’ve seen online about beliefs or worldviews around religion has created conflict or tension between them and a family member friend or peer.”

“I think these results are evidence that young people recognize cultural hostility to religious values in the culture. This is probably a good thing because it signals awareness of the battle, which is essential to understanding that there is a battle,” Joseph Backholm, senior fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at FRC, told TWS.

“In the past, people cared about media portrayals and feared being made fun of,” Backholm continued. “If there’s awareness that the people creating these portrayals are engaging dishonestly for their own purposes, they have less of an impact. Knowing you’re being lied about and misrepresented is essential to not being affected by the lies and misrepresentations.”