Technology Use Among Religiously Active Americans

Jim Jansen, Author

Taken from Pew Internet & American Life Project:
The Civic and Community Engagement of Religiously Active Americans, December 23, 2011,
A Project of the Pew Research Center

With regard to technology, religiously active Americans use the internet, email, broadband, cell phones and social media platforms at similar rates to other Americans.

Americans who are members of religious groups are also engaged with core technology at levels similar to or higher than the overall population. Asked about their technology usage:

79% of Americans who are active in religious groups are internet users, compared with 75% of those not involved with religious groups

86% of Americans who are active in religious groups are cell phone users, compared with 80% of those not involved with religious groups

75% of religiously active Americans are email users, compared with 68% of those who are not involved with religious groups.

46% of these religiously active Americans use social networking sites such as Facebook, compared with 49% of those who are not involved with religious groups.

9% of these religiously active Americans use Twitter, compared with 10% of those not involved with religious groups

Asked about their own personal involvement with all kinds of groups, those who are religiously active often have good things to say about the role of the internet with those groups. Still, the religiously active are somewhat less likely to salute the internet’s impact on their own groups than their non-religious counterparts. For example:

49% of the religiously active view the internet as having a major impact and 34% having a minor impact on the ability to keep up with news and information from the groups in which they are active (compared with 59% and 25% for the non-religious). (Still 82% say there is an impact)

38% of the religiously active view the internet as having a major impact and 37% having a minor impact on the ability to organize group activities for their groups (compared with 46% and 28% for the non-religious).

34% of the religiously active view the internet as having a major impact and 38% having a minor impact on the ability to find interesting groups to join (compared with 42% and 28% for the non-religious).

22% of the religiously active view the internet as having a major impact and 43% having a minor impact on the ability to volunteer their time to groups in which they are active (compared with 27% and 37% for the non-religious). (Again, 65% say there is an impact)

20% of the religiously active view the internet as having a major impact and 38% having a minor impact on the ability to contribute money to groups (compared with 28% and 31% for the non- religious).

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