Religious Youth Turn to Online Content but Still Distrust Media Portrayals of Faith

August 28, 2026

New research from UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storytellers shows most religious young people say media depictions of faith and spirituality do not accurately reflect their beliefs, even as many regularly turn to online content to explore religious questions.

Christianity Daily reports that the study titled “The Future of Faith: Young People, Media, & Spirituality,” found that many members of Generation Z and Generation Alpha believe media portrayals of religion and spirituality fail to represent their experiences accurately.

Funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, the study was led by Yalda T. Uhls, an adjunct professor in UCLA’s Department of Psychology.

Researchers surveyed more than 2,000 people between the ages of 16 and 24 and also included focus groups involving nearly 100 adolescents and young adults ages 14 to 24 and examined how participants use media to engage with religion, spirituality, personal identity and a sense of belonging.

Participants included Evangelical Christians, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Latter-day Saints, Sikhs, mainline Protestants, Hindu and Buddhist communities, as well as agnostic, atheist and spiritual but nonreligious groups.

According to Christianity Daily, both religious and nonreligious respondents frequently described online media as an important part of exploring questions of faith and spirituality with 68% of religious respondents saying they had connected with friends or peers online through religious or spiritual content.

However, even with that level of digital engagement, more than 60% of religious young people said the central part of their faith practice still occurs in traditional religious settings or through a combination of in-person faith communities and online media.

The study also found that 70% of respondents believe media portrayals of their religion or spirituality affect how other people treat them, although only about 40% said they considered media representations of their beliefs accurate.

Uhls, the study’s senior author, said in a press statement, “There is a real opportunity for media creators to step up and develop content that will spark curiosity, foster connection and open new pathways for young people to explore their faith in a safe environment.”

Photo: top, Credit: Unsplash/Vince Fleming