Kids & Parents: Your Kids Trust You More Than TikTok , New UCLA Study Says Parents Beat Influencers on Faith
- Boundless Team
- 14 hours ago
- 5 min read
TikTok is not raising your kids. New research confirms what you’ve hoped all along: when faith gets personal, your children still turn to you.
A new UCLA-affiliated Future of Faith report, released August 18, 2026, found that young people trust in-person faith leaders first, parents and caregivers next, and religious peers after that. Online content can inspire them, but online searches and AI rank at the bottom for trusted spiritual guidance.
That’s encouraging news for tired parents in Memphis and everywhere else.
Boundless Online Church, an outreach ministry of First Assembly Memphis, exists to help families follow Jesus through practical digital discipleship. The Boundless Family Faith Library supports parents, children, churches, and Christian schools with beautiful, biblically grounded resources for faith at home.
Your child may watch creators you’ve never heard of. They may send you videos with alarming captions and dramatic background music. But you still possess something an algorithm cannot manufacture: a trusted relationship.
What did the Gen Z faith trust study discover?
The UCLA Center for Scholars & Storytellers studied how young people ages 14–24 explore spirituality in a media-saturated world. Researchers conducted 24 virtual focus groups with 86 participants, then surveyed 2,001 people ages 16–24. The results show that digital media matters, but it doesn’t replace trusted people or embodied faith communities.
The report found that:
More than 97% of religious respondents had been spiritually moved, inspired, or comforted by media.
About 40% felt media accurately represented people with beliefs like theirs.
More than 60% of religious young people said their practices remain rooted in traditional, in-person spaces or combine those spaces with media.
Social media helps young people discover ideas, find community, and explore identity.
Faith leaders and parents remain more trusted for learning what a religion teaches.
You can read the Future of Faith report and the related UCLA newsroom announcement.
Who do young people trust most for answers about faith?
Young people trust faith leaders most for religious understanding, followed by parents and caregivers, then family members and religious peers. Digital creators may spark curiosity, but young people often look to trusted adults they know personally when they need clarity, context, or help connecting belief to real life.
That distinction matters.
The study does not mean every parent feels spiritually confident. It means relationship still carries authority. Your child knows how you respond when life is hard. They’ve seen whether you apologize, forgive, pray, keep your word, and make room for questions.
That kind of credibility grows slowly, in ordinary moments.
A creator can explain a Bible verse in 45 seconds. You can help your child understand what that verse looks like when a friend hurts them, when anxiety shows up at bedtime, or when they need courage at school.
Does this mean parents should block TikTok and other social media?
No. The better response is not panic; it’s presence. Digital media can comfort, inspire, and open spiritual conversations, but parents can help children test what they see against Scripture, wise Christian community, and the character of Jesus. The goal is not fearfully eliminating every screen. It’s teaching faithful discernment.
Try these three questions when your child shares online content:
What is this person saying about God, people, or truth?
Does this reflect the character of Jesus and the teaching of Scripture?
What questions should we bring to a trusted pastor, parent, or mature believer?
A video can become a doorway instead of a threat.
You might say, “That’s interesting. What did you think about it?” Then listen before correcting. Your calm attention teaches your child that faith is strong enough for honest conversation.
How can parents use this research at home?
Parents can turn trust into discipleship through small, repeatable habits. You don’t need a polished devotional routine or a theology degree. Start with what already happens in your home: meals, car rides, bedtime, school pickup, and those surprising conversations that appear when everyone is supposed to be going to sleep.
Here are five simple practices:
These low-energy rhythms are not spiritual shortcuts. They are faithful ways to make discipleship part of everyday life.
What does Deuteronomy 6:6–7 teach parents about faith formation?
Deuteronomy 6:6–7 calls God’s people to keep His words close to their hearts and teach them diligently to their children while sitting at home, walking along the road, lying down, and rising up. Family discipleship is meant to move through ordinary life, not remain trapped in a classroom or church building.
The passage begins with the parent’s own heart.
Before we teach children about God, we return to God ourselves. We receive His Word, depend on His grace, and allow the Holy Spirit to shape us. Then our conversations become less like lectures and more like invitations.
What if I don’t feel qualified to lead my child spiritually?
You don’t have to be perfect to disciple your child. You need to be present, prayerful, and willing to begin. Saying “I don’t know, but we can learn together” may build more trust than offering a hurried answer you don’t believe.
Children need to see that faith is not pretending to understand everything. It is trusting God, seeking truth in Scripture, asking wise questions, and following Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Boundless has shared more practical encouragement in How Do I Talk to My Kids About Faith When I Don’t Have All the Answers? and How to Read the Bible With Your Kids.
Your child doesn’t need a flawless faith expert. They need a trustworthy adult who keeps pointing toward Jesus.
Frequently asked questions about parents, influencers, and faith
Do kids trust parents over influencers when it comes to faith?
The Future of Faith report indicates that parents and caregivers are more trusted than online content creators for understanding religious beliefs and spiritual practice. Influencers may introduce ideas, but parents remain important interpreters because they know the child personally.
Who do young people trust most for answers about faith?
Faith leaders ranked highest among trusted sources for learning what a religion teaches. Parents and caregivers followed closely, along with other family members and religious peers. Online searches, social media, and AI are useful for exploration but rank lower as trusted spiritual authorities.
Does the report prove that TikTok is harmful to faith?
No. The study presents a more balanced picture. Media can spiritually move, comfort, and connect young people, but it can also misrepresent beliefs or make someone feel less safe. Parents can help children engage online with wisdom, Scripture, and conversation.
How can I start a faith conversation with my child tonight?
Ask one open question: “What did you see or hear today that made you think?” Listen without interrupting, read a short Bible passage, and pray together. A five-minute conversation can become a meaningful act of discipleship.
What should I do if my child asks a question I cannot answer?
Welcome the question. Say, “That’s a thoughtful question. I’m not sure yet, but we can explore it together.” Then look to Scripture and trusted Christian leaders for help. Humility shows children that growing in faith is a lifelong journey.
TikTok may be loud, fast, and very confident. But love is patient. Trust is built over time. And the ordinary faithfulness of a parent still speaks with remarkable strength.
Your kitchen table can be a place of discipleship. Your car can become a place of prayer. Your bedtime conversation can help your child recognize the voice of truth.
You are not competing with every influencer on the internet. You are cultivating a relationship in which your child can encounter the grace of God and learn to follow Jesus.
For more encouragement, visit Boundless Online Church and explore the Boundless Online Church blog. Memphis families can also connect through First Assembly Memphis.
Need prayer right now? Text us at 1-901-213-7341. Boundless Online Church is part of a growing vision for a 24/7 Church When Life Doesn’t Pause, offering digital encouragement, prayer access, and Christ-centered resources without implying that a human pastor is available every moment.
Read more at: https://www.boundlessonlinechurch.org/blog
Comments