Turning to Faith and Technology During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Crisis

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social NetworkingVol. 23, No. 8 EditorialFree AccessTurning to Faith and Technology During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 CrisisBrenda K. WiederholdBrenda K. WiederholdBrenda K. Wiederhold, Editor-in-Chief Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:4 Aug 2020https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2020.29191.bkwAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookXLinked InRedditEmail In today's proof-focused world, religion sometimes gets a bad rap. Many argue that because the core tenets of many of the world's religions cannot be proven, they don't provide objective worth. The same goes too for less organized, more spiritual traditions. Unless the benefits of a practice can be replicated in a laboratory setting, they are seen by some as having little to no value in our rationally based culture.It even appears—if one does not look too closely—that devotion to religion is faltering. For example, in the 2018 U.S. General Social Survey, for the first time, the group of people who identified with “no religion” was the largest, edging out Catholics and evangelical Christians.1 However, this “no religion” group still accounted for less than a quarter of those surveyed. Collectively, those who identify with a religion still greatly outnumber those with no religion, even within the United States,2 and worldwide an overwhelming majority (84%) of the world's population still identifies with a religious group.3 Age after age has shown, even when confronted by skeptics, faith persists.One of the reasons for the persistence of religion and spiritual practices is that they are both designed to help adherents during difficult times. They create communities that offer practical assistance, and also consolation and solace during a crisis. Religion can give someone who is suffering a framework in which to understand their suffering, proposing a larger perspective, a way to make sense out of tragedy.A range of recent studies have revealed faith's various beneficial effects for those who are weathering a crisis. For example, an evaluation of Gallup's U.S. Daily Poll information between 2008 and 2017 revealed that Americans who participated in a religion experienced higher subjective well-being during and after the 2008 recession than those who are less religious.4,5 In addition, a 2015 study of cancer patients found that those who felt a greater connection to religion and spirituality were in better physical health.6,7Even with smaller crises, such as a feeling of being wronged, spirituality can assist. A 2005 study comparing secular and spiritual forms of meditation found the spiritual version to be more calming.8 Moreover, research on prayer shows that by calming the nervous system, it may have similar benefits to meditation.8 Prayer can even make people less reactive to negative emotions and less angry.9The physical and mental health benefits of religion and spirituality can be found across traditions and cultural divides. According to The Wall Street Journal,7 more religious people in Japan and Greece have been found to have fewer cardiovascular risk factors and are less likely to get diabetes. Religiosity was associated with better dialysis compliance among those in Saudi Arabia. Hindu identification in India has been linked to stress coping skills, and religious women in Thailand manage diabetes more effectively than those who identify with no religion. In all cases and all places, religion helps people manage difficulties in their lives, both large and small.It makes sense, then, that those who use religion and spirituality to cope with crises would turn to these same supports during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. In March of this year, according to an analysis of search results from 95 countries, when the virus began to spread aggressively worldwide, the number of Google searches for prayer jumped exponentially.8 In the same month, a Pew Research Center survey found that a majority of Americans had prayed for an end to the spread of the virus.10 This behavior was seen not only in the large majority of Americans who already pray daily, but also in some of those who say they seldom or never pray and those who do not identify as belonging to any religion.11 In fact, the pandemic has deepened religious faith for a quarter of Americans, primarily those who already frequently prayed and attended religious services often before the crisis.11The difference between other crises and this one is that because of physical distancing regulations, religion cannot always perform the same functions as it does in other times of hardship. Those who frequently attended religious services and gatherings for support may temporarily no longer be able to do so. A Pew Research Center survey conducted at the end of March 202010 found that among those who used to attend religious services at least once or twice a month, most (59%) have now scaled back attendance because of the virus. But they haven't thrown out the idea of collective worship entirely. Nearly the same percentage of those surveyed report having participated in services online or on television instead of in-person worship. The survey found that around 40% of regular worship attendees have replaced their in-person worship with some form of socially distanced virtual worship. The same holds true in the UK. The Economist reports that a quarter of Britons have participated in online worship since lockdown began, which has actually boosted church attendance in a country where it was previously shrinking.12While the abrupt cancellation of in-person worship for churches, synagogues, and mosques worldwide is one of the most sudden and widespread disruptions of religious practice in history,5 houses of worship have quickly adapted to the new virus-era regulations. Because of the prevalent feeling of isolation due to social distancing, for many churchgoers, communal congregations have become all the more important.13 From Zoom to apps to YouTube videos, churches are employing a wide range of digital alternatives to continue providing services in order to continue to support and engage their followers. Some have even gotten creative with in-person gatherings, turning to drive-in theaters as a safe venue for collective worship.13Dedication and flexibility are just two of the qualities of religious and spiritual communities that make them attractive to turn to during difficult times. Scientists who study prayer believe that people who pray benefit from feeling supported and connected, not only to a higher power and to their surroundings, but also to others.8 What greater need is there during this time of social and physical distancing than the desire for connection.According to the American Psychological Association (APA), faith and belief are important coping mechanisms for dealing with trauma and distress.14 The key is to be sure to use them as constructive coping mechanisms rather than sources of guilt, anger, or perceived punishment. The APA provides some tips for doing just that.14 First, use religion to reframe events in a positive light, for example viewing a tragedy as an opportunity to grow closer to a higher power or to improve one's life. In addition, religion provides opportunities to feel connected, both to a higher power and to other people. Take advantage of activities such as prayer, meditation, small group study, or (virtual) religious meetings to feel a part of something larger.Though it may feel as though the pandemic has changed pretty much everything about life, take heart. Creativity, persistence, and a bit of advanced technology means that we can continue to find support where we have always found it: in our beliefs, in our spirits, and in our connected communities.References1. Monahan N, Ahmed S. There are now as many Americans who claim no religion as there are evangelicals and Catholics, a survey finds. https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/13/us/no-religion-largest-group-first-time-usa-trnd/index.html (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar2. Rubin J. Organized religion is losing its followers. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/04/15/organized-religion-is-paying-price/ (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar3. Sherwood H. Religion: why faith is becoming more and more popular. www.theguardian.com/news/2018/aug/27/religion-why-is-faith-growing-and-what-happens-next (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar4. Makridis C, Johnson B, Koenig H. Does religious affiliation protect people's well-being? Evidence from the Great Recession after correcting for selection effects. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3429422&utm_source=link_newsv9&utm_campaign=item_307619&utm_medium=copy (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar5. Newport F. Religion and the COVID-19 virus in the U.S. https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/307619/religion-covid-virus.aspx (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar6. Jim HSL, Pustejovsky J, Park CL, et al. Religion, spirituality, and physical health in cancer patients: a meta-analysis. Cancer 2015; 121:3760–3768. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar7. Konner M. In tough times, religion can offer a sturdy shelter. https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-tough-times-religion-can-offer-a-sturdy-shelter-1498829765 (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar8. Bernstein E. The science of prayer. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-science-of-prayer-11589720400 (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar9. Munsey C. Prayer takes the edge off, a new study suggests. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/06/prayer (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar10. Pew Research Center. Most Americans say coronavirus outbreak has impacted their lives. https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2020/03/30/most-americans-say-coronavirus-outbreak-has-impacted-their-lives/ (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar11. Boorstein M. A quarter of Americans, and a majority of black Protestants, say their religious faith has deepened because of the coronavirus. https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/04/30/coronavirus-deepening-more-religious-black-protestants/ (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar12. Your own personal Jesus: online services swell the Church of England's congregations. https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/06/04/online-services-swell-the-church-of-englands-congregations (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar13. Chow AR. “Come as you are in the family car.” Drive-in church services are taking off during the coronavirus pandemic. https://time.com/5811387/drive-in-church-coronavirus/?utm_source=link_newsv9&utm_campaign=item_307619&utm_medium=copy (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). Google Scholar14. Goodman B. Faith in a time of crisis. https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/faith-crisis (accessed Jul. 1, 2020). 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Wiederhold.Turning to Faith and Technology During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Crisis.Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.Aug 2020.503-504.http://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2020.29191.bkwPublished in Volume: 23 Issue 8: August 4, 2020Online Ahead of Print:July 10, 2020PDF download

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