Religious Americans Just as Tech-Savvy as Others [STUDY]

There may be preconceptions that faithful Americans skew older in age and are traditionally set in their ways, but according to a new study, religious Americans embrace technology just as much as those who are less religious.

A new report from the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project found that Americans who are members of religious groups are just as likely – if not more likely — to use the Internet, have broadband at home, use cell phones and send texts. Religious Americans are also just as active on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

"There is a view point that the more tech-savvy a person is the less religious they tend to be," Jim Jansen, a senior fellow at the Pew Internet Project and author of a report on the findings, told Mashable. "Our study shows that religiously active Americans use technology at rates in line with the general population. In fact, the 'casually religious' — those who go to church about once month or so — actually use some of the technologies that we surveyed in higher percentages than their non-religiously active peers."

The study — conducted among 2,300 Americans about their membership in 28 different kinds of organizations and clubs — found that 79% of Americans who are active in religious groups are Internet users, compared with 75% of those not involved with religious groups.

Meanwhile, about 86% of Americans who belong to religious groups own cell phones and use email (75%), compared with 80% and 68%, respectively, of those not involved with religious groups.

However, religious Americans are slightly less active on social networking sites – about 46% use social networking sites, compared with 49% not involved with religious groups. Nine percent of religiously active Americans use Twitter, compared with 10% of non-religious Americans.

"Some analysts have been concerned that those who have active spiritual lives might not be as engaged with the secular world," Jim Jansen, a senior fellow at the Pew Internet Project and author of a report on the findings, said in the report. "We see the opposite. Those who are active in religious groups seem to be joiners."

Earlier this year, a report from Hartford Seminary found that more congregations across the country are incorporating modern technology into their services. In fact, some are even encouraging attendees to use iPads and phones to interact with the service, and in some cases, tech-savvy religious leaders are using iPads during services.

In fact, a company called Little Mountain Productions has introduced a lectern called the iPodium — or iPuplit — that holds tablet devices. Priests and pastors aren't the only ones using tablets — Pope Benedict XVI used an iPad to send tweets and recently lit a Christmas tree with the help of an Android tablet.