A prejudice has it that young people are less and less interested in religion, in belief in general, and that they are more sensitive to agnosticism, atheism or indifference. A study by the Springtide Research Institute challenges this received idea.
If young people distance themselves from religious communities, it is not necessarily due to a lack of interest in spirituality. “Religion has hurt many people,” he says Willow, 17, at the Springtide Research Institute, interested in youth mental health. According to the teenager, if Generation Z is widely tempted by new drugs, such as crystal meth, it is because he perceives them as spiritual. For her part, Willow does not dissociate religion and spirituality:
“I think I’ve always found spiritual comfort in very religious contexts. I definitely had moments where I felt a spiritual connection at a youth summer camp or something. And God really touched me. »
The institute conducted a survey last spring, along with interviews showing that while 68 percent of 13- to 25-year-olds consider themselves less religious, 77 percent say they are at least mildly spiritual.
Thus, young people may not attend places of worship en masse every week, but claim that their faith contributes to their overall well-being.
Recalling that the social sciences show a link between well-being and being religious or spiritual, the Springtide Research Institute points out that belonging to a religious community can promote a sense of happiness, while seeing that many people have suffered mentally due to religion or spirituality.
Mental health, a concern that opens the door to spiritual discussions
According to the study, 53% of young people surveyed believe that the biggest challenge they have faced during the epidemic is with their mental health and 57% agree that their religious or spiritual practices are important for their mental balance. .
The results also show that those who are psychologically unstable are less likely than those who are psychologically stable to report thriving spiritually. Also, according to the study, young people who are connected to a religious or spiritual community appear to have better mental health than others.
When asked on the Christian channel CBN News, Dr. Josh Packard, executive director of the Springtide Research Institute, says that Generation Z are keenly looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. “An opening to a higher power [qui] could lead to presentations that favor the acceptance of the Gospel,” notes Billy Hallowell, a media reporter.
Jean Sarpedon
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