Lent in the age of WiFi: How Gen Z finds quiet faith

On this Easter Sunday, when churches fill with joyful hymns and families gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a quieter reflection is happening among Gen Z — the so-called “digital natives” who are coming of age in a world of instant everything.

For many Filipinos, Holy Week is a sacred pause — a time for reflection, prayer, and a deeper connection with faith. But in an era dominated by fast-paced digital living and screen time, how does the country’s youngest adult generation, Gen Z, keep the spirit of the season alive?

Two young voices from Isabela, Ydelle Pascual and Wendy Antalan, both 23, shed light on how they observe the Lenten season, offering a glimpse into how tradition continues, evolves and sometimes struggles to stay relevant in the digital age.

For Pascual, Holy Week has remained largely the same despite the changing demands of adulthood.

“As time passes, opportunities and responsibilities appear too,” Pascual told DAILY TRIBUNE.

“But for how my family spent this Holy Week, it is still the same over the years. We do social media fasting and spend more time interacting and praying with each other,” she said.

A digital fast has become the modern way Gen Z reclaim the spirit of the season. In a world constantly buzzing with notifications, taking a break from the digital world feels more radical — and perhaps more spiritual — than ever before.

Antalan echoes the sentiment, saying she sees Holy Week as a time to “pause for a while and reflect.”

Despite being immersed in digital culture, Antalan still embraces the quiet moments the season offers.

“Faith plays a huge role in my life. It makes me strong, helps me not to worry or overthink,” she said.

Lost in translation?

Both Pascual and Antalan admit that not everyone in their generation holds the same reverence for Holy Week.

Pascual observes: “The older generations tend to be more dedicated to planning the traditions than ours.”

Antalan adds: “Mas may knowledge pa rin ang matatanda (The elders have more knowledge) when it comes to traditional practices.”

The age-old customs such as Kalbaryo, libot and Pabasa are fading in some barangays.

Instead, more Gen Zs are spotted on vacation trips or binge-watching shows than at church processions.

Antalan notes in Filipino, “They no longer experience what Holy Week truly is… because they spend more time in front of screens.”

Still, there is hope that spirituality isn’t lost — it’s just finding new ways of expression.

Social media, while is often blamed for Gen Z’s detachment, also offers avenues for sharing reflections, attending virtual Masses, and inspiring others to deepen their faith.

But Pascual cautions that the balance has tipped too far. “People these days, especially most of Gen Z, tend to spend much more time in the digital world than socially interacting with loved ones.”

Their reflections serve as a reminder of the true essence of Holy Week — the death and resurrection of Christ, symbolizing hope, redemption and renewal.

And in this fast-moving world, maybe Easter Sunday can be a metaphor not just for the risen Christ, but for a renewed kind of faith — one that resonates with a new generation.

The solution isn’t to recreate traditions exactly as they were but to reinterpret them. Maybe it’s in choosing to fast from the noise of social media.

Maybe it’s in creating quiet spaces in busy homes. Or maybe, like Pascual and Antalan, it’s in pausing — even briefly — to remember what this season is all about.

As Gen Z continues to define its place in a digitized, ever-changing world, one thing remains: the essence of Easter — of death giving way to life, of sacrifice giving way to renewal — still speaks. And as long as young people are willing to listen, pray and reflect, that message will continue to reverberate.