According to a recent survey by Barna, US teenagers are more likely to seek advice about their identity from their mothers than from anyone else. The survey, which was conducted in partnership with Christ In Youth, found that 84% of teenagers would feel comfortable talking to their mothers about identity questions, followed by their fathers at 78% and friends at 75%.
While more than half of the teenagers surveyed, 68%, said they would turn to Jesus for advice, this ranked fourth behind parents and friends. The survey also found that teenagers would feel comfortable seeking advice from other sources, including the Bible, pastors, and youth pastors, with 66%, 56%, and 51% respectively saying they would turn to these sources.
The survey's findings varied slightly when looking at "faith-activated" teenagers, who are described as the most spiritually engaged teens in the survey. Among this group, Jesus and the Bible tied for second place, with 78% saying they would feel comfortable seeking advice from these sources, behind only their mothers at 80%.
The survey was conducted from February 14-17 and included 1,500 US teenagers aged 13-18. The findings are part of a report titled Reimagining Ministry for Gen Alpha, which aims to understand who teenagers turn to for advice on identity. The results suggest that while teenagers do turn to Jesus and other spiritual sources for advice, they are more likely to seek guidance from their parents and friends.