America's Less Religious: Study Puts Some Blame On The Internet

[Sherman A1]

America is less religious than ever before. The number of Americans who reported no religious affiliation has been growing rapidly, doubling since 1990. That kind of rapid change matches another societal trend — growth in Internet use. The percentage of Americans who say they used the Internet went from nearly zero in 1990 to 87 percent this year. Now, a detailed data analysis finds the two trends aren't just related, but that wider Internet use may actually be leading us to lose our religion.

Knowing that correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation, computer scientist Allen Downey, who teaches at Massachusetts' Olin College of Engineering, set out to further analyze religious disaffiliation.

His statistical analysis asked which variables were factors in our religious disaffiliation, and to what degree. The model found a causal relationship among three factors — a drop in religious upbringing, an increase in college-level education and the increase in Internet use — that together explain about 50 percent of the drop in religious affiliation. Of those, increased Internet use alone can account for about 20 percent of the decline.

The technique Downey used to establish causality is a form of statistical modeling called logistic regression, which lets you look at multiple variables and find which ones are predictive. Downey ran a regression controlling for all the other possible explanations of the religious affiliation drop (like income, home region) and wound up with notably strong associations among the three factors of upbringing, education and Internet use.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/04/21/303375159/americas-less-religious-study-puts-some-blame-on-the-internet

[cbayer]

1. This has been posted a number of times here and it's really a terribly flawed

hypothesis, imo.

Unless I am reading this wrong, the only correlation they were really able to find was time spent on the internet and lack of religious belief. Non-believer demographics are likely to explain that to a very large degree, and possibly even completely.

Anyway, I don't think it's a piece of "data" that I would choose to use.

[Sherman A1]

3. Many years ago

when the internet was still very young I was discussing with a maker of traditional board games the effect of the internet on the future. A very sharp individual he noted that the net was a giant time suck and would dig into leisure hours thereby impact the available time and socialization of the product he made and I believe to a great extent he was correct.

This piece clearly indicates "Knowing that correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation,"

Take it for whatever you believe it to be worth or not.... Your choice.

[cbayer]

5. "The internet ate my day!!" is a phrase I use from time to time.

Agree with correlation not meaning causation and I am particularly wary in this case.

[djean111]

4. Yes. Flawed. Might as well correlate eye color or access to HBO or whatever.

Looking for something to blame, or a reason; I think it is varied and personal.
I am an atheist due to an NDE, almost all of the rest of my family is quite religious, my grandson is atheist because being religious does not make any sense.

[cbayer]

6. And I also think a really large factor is that there is a growing acceptability

that allows people to more readily describe themselves as atheist.

But I think you are absolutely right - it is varied and personal.'

Edit - I am curious. HOw did a NDE lead to atheism?

[trotsky]

11. Key letters in your post: "imo".

As the study's author says:

"So far I haven't seen anything that is a serious contradiction," Downey says. And he reminds us that while the three factors of education, upbringing and the Internet can explain only half the drop in religious affiliation, no single factors explain the other 50 percent of the drop.

"So the challenge now is, great, show me the data to prove other associations," Downey says.

You've bashed this study relentlessly since it was first posted, but have offered nothing factual to disprove it.

[cantbeserious]

2. Maybe With Wider Access To Information, Religious Dogma Is Less Appealing

eom

[sailfla]

7. Maybe some of us are learning how to think N/T

[cbayer]

8. Actually I think the internet is possibly responsible for much less thinking,

and, in particular, critical thinking.

It is alarming to see how many people will swallow anything they see not he internet whole and how few people can really evaluate a source or data.

If there is a causal relationship here, which I doubt, I don't think it has anything to do with improved thinking.

[Sunlei]

9. Exposure to knowledge, facts & science has always terrified the church.

[xfundy]

10. Amen.

[AtheistCrusader]

12. They didn't burn down the Library of Alexandria because they didn't like the colors it was painted.

[struggle4progress]

22. Here's an interesting discussion of the Alexandrian library, with some attention to such matters

as the expulsion of all intellectuals from Alexandria in 145BCE, the fire Caesar set in 48BCE, Caracalla's suppression of the Museum in 216CE, the civil war associated with Aurelian's conquest in 273CE, and the burning of the city by Diocletian in 298CE

The Great Library of Alexandria

[cbayer]

13. Are you saying that the internet has led to an increase in knowledge,

facts and science?

How much of what is posted on the internet do you think is true or valid?

[Sunlei]

14. yes, the internet has led to an increase in knowledge.& an increase in religious fear, culture shock

True or valid? Everyone is on the internet these days, lots of lies and scammers.

[cbayer]

15. There really is not evidence that I am aware of that would support

your conclusion that the internet has led to an increase in knowledge, let alone an increase in religious fear.

Do you think that religion in general has embraced or tried to destroy the internet? That might give a somewhat accurate representation of where it may stand in very general terms.

[Sunlei]

17. No, I don't think "religion in general" wants to destroy the internet. We are better off with it.

I think 'political religion' (politics uses religion all the time to further their agenda) wants to stifle/control facts and knowledge on the internet.

I think it is the hateful, bad parts of 'religions' who wish they could destroy 'the internet' the most. They don't like worldwide exposure of their deeds, communication, or the sharing of facts, science & knowledge. Like a cult works.

[cbayer]

18. I certainly agree about the risks of exposure.

What many used to get away with is no longer so easily held a secret.

OTOH, I think religious groups have used the internet for both good and bad purposes, much like everything else has.

[Sunlei]

19. agree, & more good than bad purposes would be nice. I believe the internet is a great equalizer.

Look at what beauty and knowledge the internet can bring into our homes.

http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/

click "visite de la grotto"

[cbayer]

20. I only saw a tiny bit of it.

I have a really slow connection right now, and streaming is a problem.

Will try to look at at another time, though.

[Sunlei]

21. sorry, you do need a decent connection especially to control the 'tour' yourself.

That grotto must have been a spiritual experience for our religions ancestors.

[Warren Stupidity]

16. Libraries have a similar problem.

Are you arguing that the spread of literacy and libraries in the post Guttenberg world did not lead to an increase in knowledge? Or does the vast increase in access to information that the internet represents somehow transform the process of access to information from one that increases knowledge to one that does not increase knowledge?

By the way not all knowledge is demonstrably true or valid, for example religious knowledge is obviously neither.

[Rob H.]

23. A less loaded title might be

America's Less Religious: Study Shows Influence of the Internet

I know you didn't choose the title, just making an observation.