Recent research by Pew (Sept, 2014), concludes that (72%) of Americans think religion is losing influence—a sampling that points to almost three quarters of the population—further, there is a rise in the religiously unaffiliated but who consider themselves spiritual, to 22.8%. As interest in organized religion wanes and distrust in institutions to provide the answers to life’s big questions is at an all time high, there is an alternative spirituality emerging that relies on technology and data to offer quantifiable insights into who we are, and what we’re doing here.
“Young people are seeking out answers, and technology seems to be the surest vehicle for delivering quantifiable facts and a sense of heightened consciousness about who we are. We’ve become a culture of self-Googlers. It may sound farfetched, but 60% of Xers and Ys say that they sometimes Google their big life questions.” —Curve Report
Data and technology are sparking a profound cognitive shift and creating a new level of empathy that transcends space and time, creating a “global hyperconsciousness” and paving the way for a new spiritual self awareness. Consider these answers to questions posed by Google users, pulled from the above Curve Report:
“I asked, ‘What happens when you die?’ and actually came up with a great HuffPo article. It was insightful, and I really connected with it. I’m even going to pass it along to others. Thanks, Google!”
—Sam, 34, Medford, OR
“When I asked Google, ‘Should I have another baby?,’ there were a lot of articles written specifically about that. They were a great place to start my thought process. Maybe I should have asked Google, ‘If I have another baby will you wake up for the three a.m. feeding?’”
—Susan, 36, Cherry Hill, NJ
“I asked Google, ‘What is happiness?,’ and got back that the five characteristics of people who are happy are money, experiences, fond memories, emotional connections, and community. I think that’s right!”
—Viviene, 41, New Orleans, LA
Image: curvereport.com
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