Alba Sabaté, deputy director of the Blanquerna Observatory on Media, Religion and Culture, featured in the TV programme “Faith Online” on TV3’s programme 30 minuts, which explored the emerging phenomenon of Catholic influencers on social media.
The report examines how young believers use platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to share their faith and connect with other young people in a context of widespread secularisation.
In this context, Sabaté offers an academic perspective on the limitations and opportunities of this phenomenon. As she explains in the report, the key lies in the intention behind the content: influencers can play a positive role if they offer spiritual formation and guidance, but they lose legitimacy when they seek political or economic impact.
The report also highlights that these ‘digital missionaries’ have gained credibility among certain sections of the population, to the extent that a significant proportion of users trust them as much as they do traditional religious figures.
“Faith Online” offers an overview of this new digital ecosystem and the challenge it poses for the Catholic Church in its relationship with the younger generations.
You can view the full report via the following link.