Gen Alpha is religiously diverse but spiritually curious, survey finds

An online survey of more than 400 Canadian young people ages 11-13 found that two-thirds viewed their faith or spirituality as an important part of their identity. The survey, compiled by youth evangelism ministry OneHope, focused on the mental and spiritual state of internet-connected teens and preteens from Generation Alpha, those born after 2010. It found that those who identified as nonreligious still exhibited some curiosity about spirituality. And among religious but non-Christian respondents, 58% said they would be open to attending church if invited by a friend.

About half of the kids surveyed identified as Christian, though only 28% of that group said they read the Bible monthly or several times a year. Thirty-five percent identified as atheist, agnostic, or otherwise not affiliated with a major organized religion. But among those identifying as nonreligious, a third said they still believed in a higher power. And nearly a third of nonreligious respondents agreed Jesus was the Son of God.

While 66% of nonreligious young teens and preteens said they never thought about the Bible, only 18% viewed the book as problematic.

What are some other key takeaways from the report?

• Respondents spent an average of three hours online daily outside of schoolwork, though some reported double that time. Most used social media daily, even if they were too young to legally have an account.

• Nearly 1 in 5 survey respondents had explored practices such as “manifesting,” tarot readings, crystal healing, or astrology. That subset included about as many Christians as nonreligious kids.

• Far more children in households with two biological parents regularly attended church.

• Respondents who spent less than two hours online daily were far more likely to strongly agree that their family lives were good.

• About 2 in 3 respondents said they felt comfortable being honest with their parents about their lives, and 83% said they relied on family for advice about right and wrong.

• While 67% of young teens and preteens said gender is a person’s biological sex, only 42% thought that changing one’s body to become a different gender was wrong.

• Sixty-five percent of kids surveyed said premarital sex was or might be OK. On same-sex marriage, just over half said it was OK or might be OK.

• About 2 in 5 girls and boys surveyed said they had been lonely recently. Roughly 1 in 3 said they’d recently experienced high anxiety.