Findings suggest ways faith leaders can facilitate belonging and mitigate loneliness in young people A new survey by Springtide Research Institute found that for many young adults, shelter in place and social distancing provokes fear and uncertainty, leading to increased levels of isolation, loneliness, and anxiety. The survey found that
As the United States and much of the global community comes to terms with social distancing, it’s worth taking a minute to pause and consider all of the people who feel lonely and isolated even during the best of times. We can learn important lessons by understanding these expressions of
From Thanksgiving tables to the comments of Facebook posts, political conversations can cause tension—particularly between generations. Whether it’s in conversation with a stranger or family member, many young people report feeling unheard when discussing civic life with their elders. Yet, young people still want to talk. Through Springtide’s report, Cultivating
In 2024, Springtide Research Institute asked 1,112 members of Gen Alpha—all 13-year-olds—about their identities, including how markers like race, gender, nationality, and age matter in describing who they are. For Gen Alpha teens, age matters most to self-identity When asked to pick the most important marker of their identities, 13-year-olds
For the past two years, the Springtide team has interviewed and surveyed young people and adults to discover how faith-based organizations are working to engage Gen Z. This research, funded in part by Lilly Endowment Inc., shows what young people want from youth ministry. Behaviors young people want from youth
How often teens talk about religion at home may say a lot about how religious they are. In Springtide Research Institute’s survey on Gen Alpha teens (born in or after 2010), participants rated the extent to which they identify as religious (on a scale from “not religious at all” to
In an age of information overload, it can be hard to know whether the research we encounter is trustworthy. Sound research can deepen our understanding of what is happening and why. Unsound research may instead misinform, waste time and money, and mislead decision makers. Whether you are a student, a
Springtide’s recent research on young people finds that Gen Z men and women are quite similar in their feelings about religion and spirituality. For some aspects of religiosity (such as connection to a higher power and level of spirituality), young men and women do not differ at all. For other
In 2025, Springtide is exploring how young people interact with the groups and organizations they belong to—what makes them join, what keeps them coming back, and how they grow because of their membership. Members of the 2024 and 2025 cohorts of our Springtide Ambassadors Program (SAP) weighed in on this
Springtide Research Institute was recently featured in an article by Religion Unplugged. You can see an excerpt of this article in part below, but we encourage you to visit their site to read the piece in its entirety. In addition to the Global Flourishing Study, there are groups in the United States
Roughly two-thirds of teens and young adults think it is important to understand both sides of a political issue The majority of young people (ages 13-25) believe it’s important to understand both sides of political issues. In Springtide’s 2024 Study of Young People and Civic Life, about two-thirds (68%) of
In Springtide’s site visits for our What’s Working project, leaders shared their wisdom and insights from years of experience in youth ministry. Five themes—fun, purpose, inclusivity, integrity, and adaptability—shaped our inquiries during these visits. While these are universal concepts, each manifested differently in both theory and practice, providing a rich