Survey probes social media use among evangelicals

Is your social media use more helpful or harmful to building real relationships, sharing high-quality information or deepening one’s roots in a real community – such as one’s faith?

Infinity Concepts, a Christian marketing firm, and Grey Matter Research conducted a survey of 1,039 evangelical Protestant Christians this year and recently published a report available online for free: “Helpful or Harmful? Evangelicals and Social Media.”

Among its key findings, the report finds that 54 percent of respondents say social media is more harmful than helpful to their faith – but they stay online anyway.

The authors also found some advantages were cited by participants: Social internet sites provide opportunities for evangelism, fast and free access to Christian-oriented content and positive community. The report suggests that social media becomes more helpful, and less harmful, for those more actively engaged in faith activity.

Infinity Concepts CEO Mark Dreistadt suggested churches and leadership might provide more guidance to believers about their use of digital media, in a news release: “A hammer is just a hammer until you imbue it with action. You can pick it up to help build housing for the poor or to smash a window in an act of vandalism. Social media is much the same.”

“Some evangelicals talk glowingly of how social media has allowed them to talk to others about Jesus, build their own faith through study or encouragement, and develop greater community with other believers,” Grey Matter president Ron Sellers stated in the release. “Others bash social media as shallow, distracting, untrue, seductive, and even evil. But almost all use it.”

The report is available for free download at InfinityConcepts.com.