About 25 percent of U.S. adults watch remote religious services
The onset of the covid-19 pandemic appears to have had a big impact on the number of people who attend religious events virtually. A lot of congregations now stream their services live to the internet, which allows people not physically present to virtually attend via their tablet or laptop. The pandemic—which forced communities to socially distance themselves—clearly drove some would-be church-goers to opt for a safer, digitally-supported experience. That said, Pew writes that, while the number of people who reported virtual attendance seems to have gone up in recent years, a majority of people who reported doing so said they actually started doing it before the pandemic occurred…
Most regular viewers (66%) say they began watching services on screens before the pandemic. About a quarter say they started doing so during the pandemic. (The remainder either gave an inconsistent pattern of responses or declined to answer the question.)
It should also be noted that while a majority of Americans may be religious, a majority of them (57 percent) do not actually go to church regularly. This means that people who do go to church with any regularity are a statistical minority.
