Leigh Stein is the author of the novel “Self Care,” a satire of the wellness industry and influencer culture. She wrote a piece on March 5, 2020 titled "The Empty Religions of Instagram".

Leigh discusses how twenty-two percent of millennials are not affiliated with a specific religion. The group is called “The Nones” in many social science commentaries.

Ms. Stein discusses how The Pew Research Center found that the number of nones in the population as a whole increased 9% from 2009 to 2019. She says the main reasons Nones don't identify with a religious practice is because they question religious teachings, or they don’t like the church’s stance on social issues.

In response, Ms Stein notes, many are turning to Instagram influencers for questions religion answers. In her piece Ms. Stein makes a strong case for a more whole world view, so much so that many are messaging her through social media channels to encourage her to ascribe to their faith disciplines.

John Stonestreet and Maria Baer note that social media influencers are the new televangelists.

Original story: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/opinion/influencers-glennon-doyle-instagram.html