The Hashtag on the Prayer Wall

The Pew Research Center just released a new study detailing the internet habits of American teenagers. Much of the information contained in the report is fairly standard...I think we all know that younger Americans are far more technologically savvy than older generations were at the same age.

What really interests me in terms of ministry is not so much the obvious conclusion that younger people use technology, but rather how they use technology. One of the findings in the Pew Report is that one in four teenagers access the internet almost exclusively from their cell phones rather than a computer. And in just two years the percentage of teens that have a smartphone has jumped from 23% to 37%.

Many Churches are still thinking about how to engage a digital generation. But if this study is any indication even that is behind the times as media consumption habits increasingly become mobile. Just how much does this affect the way that young adults think? Although Facebook is still the primary social media platform for young adults I've noticed a huge jump in the number of our students using twitter. Twitter's 144 characters or less format is certainly more conducive for mobile internet users, which is perhaps why Facebook has been making moves to become more mobile friendly.

This movement toward mobile internet usage was brought home to me several weeks ago. We often do prayer walls during worship where students can write their prayer requests. Reading over the wall the next day I noticed that someone had used a hashtag (#theubiquitoustwittersymbol) on the prayer wall. That has never happened before that I've noticed and goes to demonstrate just how much of our student's lives are shaped by online experiences.

I'm still not exactly sure what all this means for the Church besides the fact that we're way behind the times. Although most Churches are probably never going to become social media mavens the truth is that some level of media savvy is necessary just to talk with those shaped by the digital age. Any good missionary tries to learn the native language of the people they serve. I think the Church needs to think about that when it comes to reaching out to younger generations.