People who surf the internet more often are more likely to be religiously unaffiliated, according to new research published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

The percentage of Americans who do not identify with a religious group has been growing — and the new research suggests that the internet could be playing a role.

“In my own life, I’ve noticed the drastic impact that technology from the past 20 years has had on our social lives, so I started wondering, how might the internet influence religious beliefs, practices, and institutions?” said study author Paul K. McClure of Baylor University. “We know, for example, that internet technology has changed politics, businesses, relationships, and attention spans, but fewer people were writing about the internet’s impact on religion.”

The study examined data collected during the third wave of the Baylor Religion Survey. The national survey of 1,714 U.S. adults asked respondents about their internet use and religious life, among other things.

McClure found that increased internet use was associated with a decreased likelihood of being religiously affiliated and religiously exclusive. However, increased internet use was not associated with decreased participation in religious activities.

“One of my main findings in this study is that increases in internet use correlate with a loss of religious affiliation, and I also discovered that individuals who spend lots of time online are less likely to be religious exclusivists, or in other words they’re less likely to think there’s only one correct religion out there,” McClure told PsyPost.

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