Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2002, Page 10
Who‘s writing this stuff anyway? They could be Ph.D.s or they could be
nothing. They could just be lost souls out there surfing like the rest of us—
but with a home page and a little HTML know-how, suddenly they‘ve got a
doctrine patched together out of who-knows-what and a soapbox as big as a
rabbi‘s. It‘s not like there‘s anybody checking up on them to make sure it‘s
for real. (Strand, 2000, p. 122).
Conclusion
Although there is a need for more research into how and to what extent teens access
spiritual information online, some important conclusions can be drawn from the existing
data. Teens are searching for spiritual information in increasing numbers with spiritual
styles that can be very eclectic and fluid (which is conducive to the way religious
information is presented on the Web). In addition, more and more teens are going online,
and the teens that are already online are using the Internet more frequently as a source of
information. Given the finding that religious Web sites are seeing more and more activity
(although that activity is not broken down by age-group), one may reasonably infer that the
number of teens who use the Internet to access religious information is increasing and will
continue to do so.
The research reviewed above suggests that people who want to help teens more effectively
use the Internet should: (1) develop and promote educational programs that teach teens
how to separate the wheat (however drab in appearance) from the chafe (however glitzy)
and (2) develop and promote credible and useful information sites dealing with subjects
important to teens, including sites dealing with religion. It is especially important that
educators, librarians, clergy, and other trusted sources of information be made aware of
these sites so that they can recommend them to teens.
In summary, if our culture is ―obsessed with tracking what teens buy, what crimes they
commit or what they do in bed, [even though] this search for faith may be the generation‘s
most important signature,‖ (Leland et al., 2000, p. 63), then someone should be helping
teens sift through all the religious information available online.
References
Beuchner, M., Christian, N., Cole, W., Sieger, M., Harbert, N., Krantz, M., et al. (1999, May
10). Raising kids Online: What can parents do? Time, 153, 38-39.
Begley, S., Wingert, P., Scott, H., Figueroa, A., Gordon, D., Meadows, S., et al. (2000, May
8). A World of Their Own. Newsweek, 135, 53-56.
Beaudoin, T. (1998). Virtual faith :the irreverent spiritual quest of generation X .San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Capone, L. (2000, December 10). Sexuality in youth popular culture: Web offers perilous—
and safe—passages to adulthood. The Boston Globe, pp. NO1, NO7.
Derk, J. (1998, July 18). Internet surfing carries teens to religion. Minneapolis Star Tribune,
p. B6.
Ebenkamp, B. (2000, September 18). The Ugly American URL?: European teens not
interested in generic Web-marketing. Brandweek, 41, 24.
George Gallup International Institute. (2000, March). Youth Views, 4, 2.
Gardyn, R., Fetto, J. (2000, April). Somebody say Amen! American Demographics, 22, 72.
Hickman, A., Levin, C., Rupley, S., Willmott, D. (1998, Nov. 3). How much are your kids
surfing? PC Magazine, 17, 10.
La Ferle, C. (2000) Teens‘ use of traditional media and the Internet. Journal of Advertising
Research, 40, 55-65.
Leibovich, L. (2000, August 10). Choosing quick hits over the card catalog. The New York
Times, pp. G1, G6.
Who‘s writing this stuff anyway? They could be Ph.D.s or they could be
nothing. They could just be lost souls out there surfing like the rest of us—
but with a home page and a little HTML know-how, suddenly they‘ve got a
doctrine patched together out of who-knows-what and a soapbox as big as a
rabbi‘s. It‘s not like there‘s anybody checking up on them to make sure it‘s
for real. (Strand, 2000, p. 122).
Conclusion
Although there is a need for more research into how and to what extent teens access
spiritual information online, some important conclusions can be drawn from the existing
data. Teens are searching for spiritual information in increasing numbers with spiritual
styles that can be very eclectic and fluid (which is conducive to the way religious
information is presented on the Web). In addition, more and more teens are going online,
and the teens that are already online are using the Internet more frequently as a source of
information. Given the finding that religious Web sites are seeing more and more activity
(although that activity is not broken down by age-group), one may reasonably infer that the
number of teens who use the Internet to access religious information is increasing and will
continue to do so.
The research reviewed above suggests that people who want to help teens more effectively
use the Internet should: (1) develop and promote educational programs that teach teens
how to separate the wheat (however drab in appearance) from the chafe (however glitzy)
and (2) develop and promote credible and useful information sites dealing with subjects
important to teens, including sites dealing with religion. It is especially important that
educators, librarians, clergy, and other trusted sources of information be made aware of
these sites so that they can recommend them to teens.
In summary, if our culture is ―obsessed with tracking what teens buy, what crimes they
commit or what they do in bed, [even though] this search for faith may be the generation‘s
most important signature,‖ (Leland et al., 2000, p. 63), then someone should be helping
teens sift through all the religious information available online.
References
Beuchner, M., Christian, N., Cole, W., Sieger, M., Harbert, N., Krantz, M., et al. (1999, May
10). Raising kids Online: What can parents do? Time, 153, 38-39.
Begley, S., Wingert, P., Scott, H., Figueroa, A., Gordon, D., Meadows, S., et al. (2000, May
8). A World of Their Own. Newsweek, 135, 53-56.
Beaudoin, T. (1998). Virtual faith :the irreverent spiritual quest of generation X .San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Capone, L. (2000, December 10). Sexuality in youth popular culture: Web offers perilous—
and safe—passages to adulthood. The Boston Globe, pp. NO1, NO7.
Derk, J. (1998, July 18). Internet surfing carries teens to religion. Minneapolis Star Tribune,
p. B6.
Ebenkamp, B. (2000, September 18). The Ugly American URL?: European teens not
interested in generic Web-marketing. Brandweek, 41, 24.
George Gallup International Institute. (2000, March). Youth Views, 4, 2.
Gardyn, R., Fetto, J. (2000, April). Somebody say Amen! American Demographics, 22, 72.
Hickman, A., Levin, C., Rupley, S., Willmott, D. (1998, Nov. 3). How much are your kids
surfing? PC Magazine, 17, 10.
La Ferle, C. (2000) Teens‘ use of traditional media and the Internet. Journal of Advertising
Research, 40, 55-65.
Leibovich, L. (2000, August 10). Choosing quick hits over the card catalog. The New York
Times, pp. G1, G6.
