Although most Evangelicals believe that social media use is more harmful than helpful to their faith, they continue to use these platforms.
According to a new report by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research, the more spiritually engaged Evangelicals are, the more likely they are to use social media platforms.
The recently released report, titled “Helpful or Harmful? Evangelicals and Social Media,” is based on data collected from 1,039 Evangelical Protestants earlier this year.
Similar to the general American population, Evangelicals ranked Facebook as their top social media platform, with 81% usage, followed by YouTube at 71%, Instagram at 45%, TikTok at 35%, and Pinterest at 28%.
Some 54% of Evangelicals reported that despite their belief that social media is more harmful than helpful, they still engage with these platforms. The main concern cited by Evangelicals regarding social media is that it is “loaded with harmful, dangerous, worldly content,” with 34% of respondents identifying this as their top reason.
Additionally, 29% of Evangelicals expressed that social media is harmful in general, while about 15% pointed to its potential negative influence on individuals’ faith. Concerns also included false doctrine, misinformation about Christianity, and harassment of Christians.
Among Evangelicals overall, 58% believe social media is more harmful than helpful to the Christian faith in the U.S., compared to 42% who believe the opposite. When asked why they find social media helpful, 47% of Evangelicals pointed to its usefulness for evangelism, while 18% noted that it helps facilitate connections with Christian content.
The findings come alongside a new Pew Research Center of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted from September 18 to October 10. The survey indicated that many teens are online on social media almost constantly, primarily due to smartphone access. YouTube remains the most popular platform among teenagers, with approximately 90% reporting usage, followed by TikTok at 63%, Instagram at 61%, and Snapchat at 55%.
Overall, 73% of teens say they go on YouTube daily, making YouTube the most widely used and visited platform we asked about. “About six-in-10 visit TikTok daily, including 16% who report being on it almost constantly,” the Pew researchers noted.
The data also reveal that teenage girls are more likely than boys to report using TikTok “almost constantly,” while teen boys tend to use YouTube more frequently than girls.
“While social media presents challenges, it also offers tremendous opportunities for [E]vangelicals to shine the light of Christ in a vast digital landscape. With intentional guidance from church leaders and a spirit of discernment, social media can become a powerful tool for spreading the Gospel, building community, and encouraging fellow believers,” the researchers emphasized.
