About Screening Faith: The Impact of Media and Technology on the Faith Development of Adolescents and Young Adults – ProQuest
| Authors | Patterson, Angela |
|---|---|
| URL | https://www.proquest.com/openview/79fec3dd943e8594f4308f45c6dc96f0/1?cbl=18750&diss=y&pq-origsite=gscholar |
| Language | en |
Type: Thesis
Abstract
The interaction of media and faith has long been of interest to psychologists of religion and other scholars, which has usually manifested in examinations of the interaction between media and religious belief and practice. Yet, the growing complexity of the media landscape provides new avenues for inquiry, particularly in understanding how the ubiquity of media might alter patterns of belief. This work seeks to fill the gap in the literature by investigating the impact of media and technological use and exposure on the faith development of adolescents and emerging adults. Using James Fowler’s faith development theory as a foundation, a mixed methods approach was used to better understand how media use and exposure might be changing the trajectory of faith development. Multiple regression and weighted least squares regression analyses showed age was a small predictor of participant faith stage, but no other relationships were statistically significant. Qualitative results revealed patterns of association between media use and overall identity development, which in turn impacts faith development. Relevant literature, methods, results, and directions for future research are discussed.