Headline, August 15 2025/ SPIRITUALITY : ''' YOUTH* STUDY YONDER '''

SPIRITUALITY : 

''' YOUTH* STUDY YONDER '''

FROM MANTRAS TO MEDITATION. TIME ENOUGH to learn how India's Gen Z is redefining spirituality.

A YouGov-Mint survey showed 53 percent of India's Gen Z - which refers to people born roughly between 1997 and 2012 believe religion is important and 62 percent of them pray regularly.

An MTV Youth Study in 2021 found that 63 percent of India's Gen Z believe that spirituality helps them gain clarity. Almost 70 percent said they felt more confident after prayer.

'' Gen Z has a lot of different vocabulary that they can lean on to explain what they are feeling, which is different from previous generations,'' counselling psychologist Manavi Khurana told DW.

'' Terms like healing, grounding, getting in touch with the self. Spirituality, religion, wellness and well being, all get mixed up though they have intersections as well,'' Khurana added.

She is the founder of the mental health organization Karma Care in Delhi, which has a mix of  Millennial [ people who were born roughly between 1981 and 1996 ] and Gen Z clients.

'' There's also a lot of people connecting to Hinduism given the current political climate,'' Khurana said.

'' A lot of people find solace in religion. If they have absolutely lost hope, they find religion or some mantras or beliefs that help them find hope. They may not have a lot of other support systems at this time,'' she explained.

'' If spirituality leads to extremism, it's not the best scenario. But if someone uses it as a way to get in touch with themselves and as a coping mechanism, it is very important,'' Khurana said.

Young Indians don't seem to be shying away from religion - they are reinventing and customizing it.

FEWER RITUALS : Surya, 27, is a solo traveler and influencer with more than 290,000 followers on Instagram. Many of her trips are spiritually inclined.

Surya has travelled to a number of major Hindu pilgrimage sites and festivals, including Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj this year, Kedarnath and the Haridwar Kumbh in 2023.

She says while social media platforms and influencers have made religion more accessible to younger generations, there's more to it than that.

'' Spirituality is no longer seen as '' boring '' or only for the old. It is becoming a way to find peace in a chaotic modern life,'' she told DW.

'' Today's youth aren't following blindly. They're asking why, exploring how, and embracing what resonates personally. Instead of attending temples because they ' have to ' they may visit Varanasi,  Rishikesh, or Isha [Foundation] to find something real, '' she added.

During an address to the parliament this year, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the youth are '' embracing their traditions, faith, and beliefs with pride, reflecting a strong connection to India's cultural heritage.''

He was speaking before the Maha Kumbh Mela, which was held from January to February this year and saw thousands of younger attendees.

Modi's right-wing, Hindu nationalist government has pumped funds into developing and promoting important religious sites such as Ayodhya, The states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have also announced plans to revamp sites of religious, historical and mythological significance.

Spiritual Content on Social Media : With social media playing such an important role in young people's interest in and engagement with spirituality, some critics say these public platforms make the experience less authentic or performative.

Psychologist Khurana says, '' Just because a lot of Gen Z communicate via Instagram or the internet and that is their way of community, we can't totally write it off as performative." Pointing out that young people have been '' brought up around phones and raised by technology.''

According to a 2023 survey by OMTV, a spiritual storytelling app, 80 percent of Indians aged 18 to 30 engage with spiritual or religious content online.

"Gen Z's world is noisier and faster than any before. So, their entry points to spirituality look different. They may not read entire scriptures, but they'll listen to a 60-sec clip of Gita wisdom.

They might not sit in a temple for hours, but they'll do a 10-minute guided meditation at night. That doesn't make it less real, just modern," Surya said.

The Honour and Serving of the Latest Global Operational research on Spirituality, Youth, Students and Modern Times, continues. The World Students Society thanks DW, and The Express Tribune.

With respectful dedication to the Students of India, Professors and Teachers and then the Students, Professors and Teachers of the world.

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