A recent report from Baylor University suggests a correlation between internet use and the rise of religious “nones.”

Researchers questioned respondents about their religious affiliation, as well as their internet habits. Those who spent the most time online were least likely to identify with any religious tradition.

Even after accounting for factors such as age, race, gender, education, place of residence and political party, screen time consistently predicted a lack of religious affiliation.

Nearly 9 in 10 Americans today are online — up from just 52 percent at the beginning of the 21st century — according to 2017 data from Pew Research Center.

The Baylor report suggests that while family and community traditions were the primary influencers shaping the belief systems of previous generations, people today increasingly look to the digital world.

“Whether through social media or the sheer proliferation of competing truth-claims online, the internet is the perfect breeding ground for new ‘life-worlds’ that chip away at one’s certainty,” Baylor sociologist and researcher Paul McClure wrote in the report.

Such studies highlight the need for churches to seek out and welcome those wrestling with questions, confusion and doubt — whether through online outreach and other innovative approaches or more traditional methods.

In an age of glowing screens and conflicting messages, the gospel still has the power to light the way.