Commission on Evangelization

Internet Facts: Opportunity Knocks

Sister Susan Pontz, SS.C.M., shared selected statistics from research conducted by the nonprofit Pew Internet & American Life Project, an initiative of the Pew Research Center for People and the Press. Research revealed:

More than 3 million active church-goers log onto the Internet in search of spiritual information each day.

In a three-week period more than 300 people went online to search for information about their own faith.

Other findings from the Pew projects:

31% of parents sought religious information online.

Parents are more likely than nonparents to make prayer requests via email and download religious music.

44% of online religious seekers think the Internet has had a positive influence on how people practice their religion.

College students are heavy users of the Internet compared to the general population.

3 of every 5 children under the age of 18, and more than 78% of those between the ages of 12 and 17 go online.

Sources:
—The Pew Internet and American Life Project: CyberFaith: How Americans Pursue Religion Online December 2001 www.pewinternet.org/ reports
—The Pew and American Life Project: Counting on the Internet December 2002 www.pewinternet.org/ reports

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