CFK reports from: The Brookings Institution
Event: release of report: "OMG! How Generation Y is Redefining Faith in the iPod Era"
Organized by: Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, Reboot, Brookings
Where/When: Washington, D.C., April 11, 2005

by Robert Capriccioso

The results of a wide-ranging survey on youth and religion were released today. The report, "OMG! How Generation Y is Redefining Faith in the iPod Era," compares and contrasts the religious identities of 18- to 25-year-old Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims. The survey was conducted with 1385 total respondents; Muslim, Jewish, Asian, African American and Hispanic youth were oversampled to achieve more accurate results.

Anna Greenberg, vice president of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research—which conducted the study in partnership with a coalition of civic and religious groups—pointed out several key findings from the report:

• Level of religious engagement varies: Twenty-seven percent of the young people surveyed were categorized as "Godly," or highly religious. The same number (27 percent) was categorized as "Godless," or non-religious. Forty-six percent of the participants were classified as "undecided."
• Denominations decline: Many young people could not identify with what faith tradition or denomination they belong to, and large numbers of those studied were unwilling to align with a denomination.
• Progressive worldview: The age group has highly tolerant and progressive views, even among youth who identify as religious. Sixty-three percent support keeping abortion legal, while fifty-three percent support same-sex marriage.
• Disengaged from politics: Politics falls at the bottom of the list of issues that young people think or worry about, though certain groups, including Jewish and African-American youth, think it is more important.
• Sexually transmitted diseases are a top concern: Overall, more so than getting a job or getting good grades, "getting a sexually transmitted disease" was the top concern among those surveyed, with 35 percent responding "very worried."
• Demographic highlights: African Americans were the most likely to fall into the "Godly" category. Jewish respondents were most likely to be characterized as "Godless," or less religiously attached.

Religious teens were also found to be both more self-aware and to be more active in politics and community. The researchers looked at several identity groups, including family, religion, sexual preference, and political beliefs, and found that less religious young people identify with such groups somewhat less than religious young people. The authors suggest that religious adherence may build social capital not just in terms of participation in civic life, but also in terms of connection with family, self-esteem, and self-understanding.

Greenberg said that in her view the study findings indicate that on every measure, highly religious youth better understand themselves and their place in the community more than less religious youth.

Roger Bennett, co-founder of Reboot, a Jewish organization that commissioned the report, argued that the survey results send a clear message: "Demand for meaning and community is there, but few in Generation Y are finding it in churches mosques or synagogues. The question is now whether established institutions will adapt or innovate to meet this generation's particular spiritual needs."

Bill Galston, Director of the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (also a sponsor of the survey) pointed out more findings:

• Women were more likely to be classified as "Godly."
• Young adults are far more likely to be "Godless" than older generations—at a point when their identity formation is highest. "Godless" youth appeared to have a weaker sense of personal identity on several survey measures.

A full copy of the report will soon be available online: http://www.rebooters.net/poll.html