Why do teenagers become atheist easier than adults?

The media, the internet

50 years ago, a teen's media was their parents and their church. Now kids and teens are exposed to the internet and media, and can see everyone's opinions and form their own opinions on issues instead of just absorbing their parents.

I think it's because society is in general becoming more acceptant. It's a little easier to be an atheist now, than it was before. And science is constantly making new breakthroughs; it's more prevalent now.

Also, the longer a person is involved in something, the harder it is to turn away. Many of the theists who are now adults were raised and indoctrinated as religious nuts, all the way up until they're adulthood. It's easier for teens to turn away from the concept of religion, because society offers them the freedom to (even though their parents may not), and during teenage years, humans become are naturally more skeptic, laid back, and open to new ideas (although I do agree that some of them are uneducated).

However, I don't necessarily think this depends on the age, as much as the environment. The world has seen as lot of changes these past few years.

For some, they're just going with a "rebellious" crowd. As an atheist, I can say I've seen some teens switch to atheism just because. It doesn't matter to me, though.

However, I don't think that's the main thing going on here. Think of it this way: Say you're a little older, maybe 60 years old. You've spent your entire life believing in one thing. You've molded every part of your lifestyle around it. A lot of time has gone into worshiping it, and spreading its message. Now imagine taking "it" out of the picture. It would completely change you, would have the possibility to make you feel as if you've wasted 60 years. So, it's easier for them to keep holding on to their beliefs, no matter what contradictory evidence is thrown at them.

If you're only a teen, it's not as much of a deal. You still have many, many years ahead (generally).

Probably because they are more easily influenced, they're trying to fit in, their parents have been trying to shove religion down their throats their whole lives and they feel they can finally think for themselves, etc. There are many different reasons. Adults are hopefully a bit stronger in their beliefs than teenagers, and don't often worry about fitting in with their friends or what others will think of them as much. Just my opinion.

I think it's more to do with the generation they were brought up in, so in a sense yes it is easier for teenagers to become atheist due to the fact families are no longer implementing religion strongly in many cases, so they form more of their own opinion about it rather than believing because they've been raised in a god fearing background!

"And don't tell me that teenagers are finally getting smarter"

Yeah... cos you don't like reality, huh?

It's still a fact that if an older person like me wants help with something involving the latest technology it's best I see a Teenager cos they know how stuff works - their minds are [NOT] filled with how stuff used to work.

Before the Information Age cretinists could tell all the lies they wanted… not now.

~

People waste their lives convincing themselves they have not wasted their lives. When your a teenager, you start to develop abstract intelligence and can think independently of your parents. As you get educated on critical thinking, its easier to question god and see it as false. However, as an adult you've invested enough into your religion that it becomes more about being "right" then finding truth.

This is why people are less likely to convert the older they get. The more they invest into it, the more they fear that they wasted their lives, and the less likely they are to admit they are wrong.

I think these days kids become more depressed, with bullying and stuff like that. They tend to blame social and family issues on God because they wonder how he'd have let those kind of things happen to innocent people. They lose faith because they've lived less than adults have, so they're not as "wise". Plus teenagers are going through that stage of finding out who they are and they tend to be rambunctious and confused. Hope this is what you were looking for(:

I'm a teenager who became Atheist.

I can't speak for everyone, because everyone is different, but I just find God and the Bible completely unrealistic.

But I've never been that religious, so it was easy for me to become Atheist.

I don't think they are legitimate atheists. Real atheists are so due to analytical reasons, but I think teenagers are swayed towards it to either mess with their parents, or due to something bad happening and their hormones blowing it out of proportion into a seemingly Godawful event, like the people who have a family member die and say "God is dead for doing his job, only doing it to me."