A survey conducted by the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) discovered that a significant percentage of Americans use Christian news sites, Faithwire reports.

According to NRB CEO, Troy Miller, the organization was surprised by the results as they tried to find out how much people were using Christian media outside a church setting.

The NRB specifically didn’t want the results tainted “by their church activity,” Miller added.

The survey which was conducted by the Barna Group uncovered three significant findings.

First it found that 60% of Americans use Christian or Bible-based media. This comes in a variety of forms, Miller said, including “television, radio, podcasts, news websites, social media, or YouTube.”

“I think the big lesson for Christian outlets — Christian media — is that people are paying attention,” Miller added. “They’re really paying attention to what’s going on, and they’re looking for something.”

Secondly, when asked why they consumed Christian media, the survey found that people were “looking for encouragement and for hope,” Miller said.

Miller added that this seems to be a rejection of the negativity that permeates much of the mainstream media.

We need hope. In fact, a loss of hope is actually unhealthy.

In an article for Harvard Medical School,  Adam P. Stern, MD writes:

“But hope is also beginning to reveal its value in scientific studies. Among young adults with chronic illnesses, greater degrees of hope are associated with improved coping, well-being, and engagement in healthy behaviors. It also protects against depression and suicide. Among teens, hope is linked with health, quality of life, self-esteem, and a sense of purpose. It is an essential factor for developing both maturity and resilience.”

The Bible also agrees. Solomon writes that “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12 NIV).

The third thing the survey uncovered is that this interest in Christian media is being driven by young people.

It showed up in American’s engagement with Christian media’s social media accounts. NRB found that Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) had the largest engagement at 64%. This was followed by millennial’s (born between 1981 and 1996) at 58%.

In other words, it’s not the older generations that are leading the way in utilizing Christian media, but the younger ones.