Most religious youth say media’s portrayal of faith is inaccurate

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Tuesday, August 25, 2026

While a majority of religious youth admit to consuming religious content online and using it to explore their faith, most still list local faith leaders and their parents as the sources they trust most to handle questions about spirituality, according to a new study published by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA.

In The Future of Faith: Young People, Media, & Spirituality, researchers led by Yalda T. Uhls, who is an adjunct professor in UCLA’s Department of Psychology, found that a majority of religious youth in Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, and Generation Alpha, those born in the early 2010s to mid-2020s, said portrayals of their faith and spirituality in media were not accurate.

The study, funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, surveyed more than 2,000 young people ages 16 to 24, and conducted focus groups with nearly 100 adolescents and young adults ages 14 to 24 to examine how they use media to engage with and express their religious and spiritual beliefs, sense of belonging and identity.

Respondents identified as Evangelical Christian, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Latter-day Saints (Mormon), Sikh, mainline Protestant, Hindu and Buddhist, as well as agnostic, atheist and spiritual nonreligious.

A majority of both religious and non-religious respondents in the study reported that online content plays an important role in exploring their faith and noted that they were spiritually moved, inspired or comforted by it. Some 68% of religious respondents reported connecting with friends or peers online through spiritual or religious content.

Despite their heavy consumption of online media, more than 60% of young religious people insisted that the core of their faith practice took place in traditional faith spaces or in a combination of those spaces and online media.

Some 70% of respondents said general media portrayals of their religion or spirituality influence how others treat them. Less than half (around 40%) of respondents across nearly every religious and non-religious group felt that media representations of their faith or beliefs were accurate.

More than 60% of respondents reported that they saw something in media that made them feel less safe in expressing their religious beliefs. Among most religious groups surveyed, more than half of respondents reported consuming religious content that caused conflict or tension with a family member, friend or peer.

While respondents in the study more often pointed to social media than TV or film as a source of authentic or positive religious and spiritual representation, they collectively called on content creators, influencers, and TV/filmmakers to move beyond simplified or stereotypical portrayals of faith and spirituality.

“Gen Z and Gen Alpha are redefining what religion and spirituality look like in the digital age, and they have an appetite for authentic content that reflects and amplifies their beliefs and practices,” Uhls, the study’s senior author, said in a press statement. “There is a real opportunity for media creators to step up and develop content that will spark curiosity, foster connection and open new pathways for young people to explore their faith in a safe environment.”