Photo courtesy of AT&T

 Although smartphones have been around for what-seems-like forever, we are only now starting to get a clearer picture of how people live with their devices. This is particularly true when it comes to people of faith. Specifically, how do people use their devices as part of their worship?

We’ve previously explored this topic and the impact of our behavior here at bytesandbelief.com (read our post, “The Social Hour” here), but now we’ve got some data. The Pittsburg Courier recently published some survey results that are part of AT&T’s Inspired Mobility campaign.

While Inspired Mobility looks like it might be designed to encourage more believers to adopt AT&T’s services, it also provides some interesting insight into how people of faith use technology. Some interest numbers in the article:

• 57% of blacks use mobile devices to connect to faith and inspiration sites and groups. That compares to 46% of Hispanics, 38% of Asians and 37% of whites.
• Across all groups, 72% of those who use mobility to connect with their faith report using social media to do so, with Facebook and YouTube used most.

The kicker for me was the number around use of technology DURING worship. According to the survey, 44% of 25-34 year olds said they used their mobile device to engage in activities unrelated to the service they were attending.

Does the use of technology – social media in particular – enhance or take away from worship services? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Check out the full Pittsburg Courier article HERE
Read the AT&T Inspired Mobility blog HERE