In the Digital Age, Millennials Haven’t Abandoned In-Person Worship
By Movieguide® Staff
A new study revealed that in an age of the online school, digital worship, and smartphone connections, millennials still carve out time for in-person interaction when it comes to church.
The study, conducted by University of Waterloo sociologist Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme, discovered that a minority of millennials from the United States and Canada (32%) rely on digital worship and fellowship once a month. Only 5% of that number said that they did so without some form of in-person interaction.
While sermons on YouTube, Christian podcasts, and social media all lend a unique opportunity to learn and discuss God’s word, many still believe there is no substitute for in-person church.
“For the most part, people are both involved in person and supplement that through digital religion,” Wilkins-Laflamme said. “The overall takeaway for me was that digital religion is definitely a thing, but it’s a thing that only a chunk of the (millennial) population does.”
Pauline Cheong, a professor at Arizona State University and unconnected to the above study, said that “digital religion” has not replaced church but has become supplemental.
“(Digital religion) is not a disruption or huge tear in the social fabric,” Cheong said. “There are a lot of savvy religious users using it to complement existing ties (to religion).”
According to Wilkins-Laflamme, the study took in a large swath of digital activities for its results, such as using a digital bible app to watching spiritual-related TikToks on social media.
However, other studies point out that social media and other online activities like video games have decreased interest in in-person religious activity.
Paul McClure, a sociologist who studies religion and technology at the University of Lynchburg, recently conducted a study that revealed that for U.S. youth ages 13 to 19 years, increased screen time negatively impacts commitment to the church and other religious activities.
“We cannot say for sure that screen-based media is actively making adolescents less religious,” McClure’s study reads. “But it is clear that screen time either displaces or substitutes for religious belief, identity and practice among adolescents from religious families.”
Cheong added about the digital worship movement: “Moving forward, religious organizations and leaders need to do what they can to maintain and sustain the trust, to cultivate healthy relationships.”
Movieguide® previously reported on the relationship between screen-time and Bible study among youths:
The Barna Group and the Impact 360 Institute released a new report that shows teens who spend more time reading the Bible have better screen-time discernment.
Barna Group President David Kinnaman claims that on average, teenagers spend over 5 hours on their smartphones. Furthermore, young adults spend over six hours per day.
“We’re all, as human beings, in this experiment of what it’s going to be like for us to be in a digital environment to be raised in a world that I call ‘Digital Babylon,’ where so many of the controlling factors are different than they would have been in the past,” Kinnaman said.
However, Kinnaman also explained how the Barna report also showed that a commitment to reading Scripture, Church, and faith “are more discerning when it comes to their devices,”
“There’s this really interesting interconnection between being a resilient disciple and also how you use your screentime,” Kinnaman said. “They have a more positive outlook and greater mental and emotional health.”
He added: “Being a resilient Christian doesn’t just mean you have a stronger faith, but you’re actually stronger in some of the ways that matter most in real life.”
The addictive nature of media and screen-time is not foreign, and many agree that it should come with limits.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
