Americans Are Using the Internet for Religious or Spiritual Purposes According to a recent release of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, nearly two-thirds (82 million Americans)
of those who attend religious services weekly use the internet for personal religious or spiritual purposes.
"There has been much speculation about the impact of the Internet on religion,
particularly as increasing numbers of Americans have been turning to sources other than their own traditions and clergy," said Prof. Stewart Hoover of the University of Colorado at Boulder, the lead
author of the Pew Internet Project report.
Hoover goes on to say, "The survey provides clear evidence that the majority of the online faithful are there for personal spiritual reasons, including
seeking outside their own traditions. But they are also deeply grounded in those traditions, and this Internet activity supplements their ties to traditional institutions, rather than moving them away
from church."
Among the most popular and important spiritually-related online activities measured in a new national survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project:
- 38% of the
nation's 128 million Internet users have sent and received email with spiritual content.
- 35% have sent or received online greeting cards related to religious holidays.
- 32% have gone
online to read news accounts of religious events and affairs.
- 21% have sought information about how to celebrate religious holidays.
- 17% have looked for information about where they
could attend religious services.
- 14% have used email to plan church meetings.
- 11% have downloaded or listened to religious music online.
- 7% have made or responded to online
prayer requests.
- 7% have made donations to religious organizations or charities.
The report, "Faith Online," says that those who use the Internet for religious or spiritual purposes
are more likely to be women, white, middle aged, college educated, and relatively well-to-do. In addition, they are somewhat more active as Internet users than the rest of the Internet population.
In sum, 64% of Internet users said they had done at least one of these things online and many had done more than one. This figure represents a substantially higher number of online faithful than the
Pew Internet & American Life Project has measured in the past.
Top Sites in the Religion Category Audience: All Persons at U.S. Home/Work/College-University Locations
| | Week Ending 3/28/04 | Month of
February |
| Total Active Internet Population | 128,374 | 152,056 |
| Religion
Category Visitors | 3,051 | 9,998 |
| Gospelcom.Net | 387 | 1,405
|
| Beliefnet Network | 206 | 972 |
| Lds.Org | 191 | 639 |
| Christianitytoday.Com | 186 | 585 |
| Christianbook.Com | 167 | 821 |
| Theinterviewwithgod.Com | 156 | 611 |
| Christianet.Com | 111 | 426 |
| Heartlight.Org | 111 | 340
|
| Christiansunite.Com | 94 | 309 |
| Bible.Org | 89 | 159 |
Source: comScore Media Metrix
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