Barna
Generations
Technology

Jan 14, 2025

Digital Discipleship: Helping Parents Navigate Teen Technology Use

Church leaders face a unique challenge: helping families navigate a digital landscape that increasingly shapes not just how young people communicate, but how they form their identities, relationships and faith. Technology touches every aspect of modern teenage life, from education to spiritual formation, and many parents in U.S. congregations feel unprepared for these challenges.

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has added another layer of complexity to this digital landscape. According to Barna’s research, nearly three in four parents (72%) are concerned about AI’s impact on children and teens. In a February 2024 survey, a third of U.S. parents (33%) strongly expressed concern about data privacy and security risks associated with their children using AI technology, while one in four (25%) worry it could negatively impact their children’s ability to think independently.

To provide insight and practical guidance for church leaders working with parents and teens, we spoke with Felicia Song, a longtime researcher of mass media and digital technology. Song regularly speaks on parenting in the digital age and spiritual formation at churches, schools, parent groups and conferences, and she brings her academic expertise and personal experience to this conversation.

Editor’s note: You can learn more about current technology and the Church trends here on Barna.com or in our full-length exclusive release inside Barna Access Plus.

Your Leadership Toolkit

Strengthen your message, train your team and grow your church with cultural insights and practical resources, all in one place.

Q: What inspired your focus on digital technology’s impact on relationships, and why should parents pay attention to this topic?

Felicia Song: I’ve been studying mass media and digital technology for a long time. I started on this path after college while teaching history at a small, private boarding school that highly valued community. It was 1995, the first year the school got email. What struck me was that when they introduced email, there was no collective conversation about what it might do to the community. I thought, “Email is wonderful and useful, but how will it affect us?” That sparked my interest in how technology shapes relationships, notions of community and our interactions.

Later, as I gave talks and conducted research, parents would ask, “What should I do? My kids are already immersed in technology, or I’m raising young ones—what’s your advice?” As a parent of a 19-year-old and a 14-year-old, I often say, “I’m in the trenches too. None of us have a roadmap.” We’re all pioneers raising kids in a world profoundly shaped by technology. These conversations inspired me to write a resource to help people navigate these challenges.

Q: Barna research finds that most young people agree their generation spends too much time on screens, yet 64 percent feel incomplete without their phones. What is it about technology that makes teens feel this way? And where can teens find belonging and connection outside of their devices?

Song: Today’s technology isn’t something we simply use and put away. It’s embedded in how we do school, friendship, family, community and church. Technology is interwoven into identity formation and relationships. Teens feel incomplete without their phones because these devices are their primary tools for connection—staying in touch with friends, family and responsibilities.

However, there are ways to foster connection outside of screens. Activities like arts, music and outdoor sports encourage embodiment and skill development, taking time and effort rather than instant gratification. These activities connect teens with peers, coaches and teachers in meaningful ways. Shifting focus to such activities can offset the constant pull of the digital world.

This is an excerpt from a full-length profile in this month’s State of the Church release, which can be found exclusively in Barna Access Plus

About Barna

Since 1984, Barna Group has conducted more than two million interviews over the course of thousands of studies and has become a go-to source for insights about faith, culture, leadership, vocation and generations. Barna is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization.

Barna Access Plus

Lead with Insight

Strengthen your message, train your team and grow your church with cultural insights and practical resources, all in one place.

Get Barna in Your Inbox

Subscribe to Barna’s free newsletters for the latest data and insights to navigate today’s most complex issues.