Are Most Internet Users Atheists?

[Chronos]

I know it may sound stupid, but are most regular internet users atheists?

Specifically, on YouTube, all the videos promoting religion have more dislikes than likes, while videos that oppose religion, i.e. Thunderf00t, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, The Atheist Experience, etc. have a lot more likes than dislikes and also a lot more positive feedback.

In one particular example, educator Salman Khan, whose username on YouTube goes by khanacademy, usually creates videos teaching people topics from addition/subtraction to differential calculus. He also teaches evolution by demonstrating how natural selection works. His videos always get positive feedback and his videos rarely gets any dislikes.

But in one particular video, he hinted that our complex universe MAY have been created by an intelligent designer, and it's the only video which has a significant number of dislikes and hate comments.

This is not conclusive evidence in itself, but what do you think? Maybe there are more closet atheists than we think. Or maybe God doesn't want believers to go on the internet or they'll learn too much.

[crimethinker]

No. While I'm sure that, relative to their offline numbers, atheists are more likely to be online and on particular sites due to being more intellectual (and generally less rural, less into sports, etc.), the numbers just couldn't work that way.

A more likely explanation is that atheists are simply more interested in atheist- and theist-related material, especially debates. They're part of a cool, somewhat coherent minority that they want to explore and feel a part of. While they're watching the kinds of videos you mention, theists are watching RayWilliamJohnson and Eminem music videos (being "normal") because, as part of the majority, they have no reason to be reflective on these issues, and the hardcore theists you'd expect to challenge atheists aren't online at all because they tend to be older and more rural.

[Peter]

See post above this one.
Can't really add any more.

[iolo]

I think that a very high proportion of internet users are Americans, and they bring their cultural habits with them. When in an argument, for instance, they show a Puritan heritage by constantly demanding Chapter and Verse, Wikepedia conveniently replacing Scripture. The US is far more religious (in a rather hypocritical, money-making sense) than any other advanced country, and the internet offers a place where those who feel in a minority can speak their minds. I think that in most countries people no longer define themselves in religious terms like 'atheist': in the US it is still a point of argument, so many do.

[Dkdj12]

I know it may sound stupid, but are most regular internet users atheists?

Specifically, on YouTube, all the videos promoting religion have more dislikes than likes, while videos that oppose religion, i.e. Thunderf00t, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, The Atheist Experience, etc. have a lot more likes than dislikes and also a lot more positive feedback.

In one particular example, educator Salman Khan, whose username on YouTube goes by khanacademy, usually creates videos teaching people topics from addition/subtraction to differential calculus. He also teaches evolution by demonstrating how natural selection works. His videos always get positive feedback and his videos rarely gets any dislikes.

But in one particular video, he hinted that our complex universe MAY have been created by an intelligent designer, and it's the only video which has a significant number of dislikes and hate comments.

This is not conclusive evidence in itself, but what do you think? Maybe there are more closet atheists than we think. Or maybe God doesn't want believers to go on the internet or they'll learn too much.

With almost every american household having at least one computer with internet access, I highly doubt it's appropriate to say that most internet users are atheists. Granted, more internet users who happen to be atheists are more outspoken than the theists as far as I can tell.

On the subject of youtube, I find that if you watch the theists and creationists videos, some, if not all, of them delibertly disable making comments or allow comments only by special permission. This typically annoys most atheists as it is viewed as a "hit and run" argument in that the theists makes a claim yet refuses to allow anybody to object or question their opinion. Sometimes, they even disable the liking bar to further support their claim. This is viewed as dishonest and insecure and typically, skeptics find that kind of behavior to be questionable.

You also have to keep in mind that there are voter bots and trolls that are simply just there to screw around. ShockofGod and the AllianceofChrist, for example, typically tend to do this with evolution videos.

[Chronos]

I suspected what have already been said above, I guess it was wishful thinking on my part.

[grandpa]

I suspected what have already been said above, I guess
it was wishful thinking on my part.

We need some degree of wishful thinking -- otherwise we would only settle for now.

Grandpa h.

[Plato]

I think there is an over-representation of atheists on the internet because they express their views more than theists do on the internet (since atheists have something to rant about).

[Thanatos]

I find that I meet a surprising number of atheists in my daily life. I don't think there's any discrepancy between the number out in the real world and the number on the internet. The apparent difference is caused by the fact that most atheists don't announce their religion, and religious discussion is relatively rare in real life and something most of them avoid.

TL;DR atheists are a huge stealth minority.

[iolo]

I find that I meet a surprising number of atheists in my daily life. I don't think there's any discrepancy between the number out in the real world and the number on the internet. The apparent difference is caused by the fact that most atheists don't announce their religion, and religious discussion is relatively rare in real life and something most of them avoid.

TL;DR atheists are a huge stealth minority.

Over here I'd reckon they were a clear majority of those who express an opinion. In the 'States (as I understand it) free speech is a noble aspiration, but a bit dicey for various categories of people, especially those engaged in business. Am I wrong?

[Jack]

...In the 'States (as I understand it) free speech is a noble aspiration, but a bit dicey for various categories of people, especially those engaged in business. Am I wrong?

I agree with your conclusion. In both business and politics in the U.S. atheism is not a popular stance (just as it isn't a popular stance in general) and one best not discussed if a person wants to be uncontroversial.

[Thanatos]

Over here I'd reckon they were a clear majority of those who express an opinion. In the 'States (as I understand it) free speech is a noble aspiration, but a bit dicey for various categories of people, especially those engaged in business. Am I wrong?

I've had more than a few people assume I'm Jewish because I said I wasn't Christian. My current boss immediately started telling a bizarre joke about Jews that made me very uncomfortable, so I corrected him and things have been fine ever since.

The night manager works fine with colored subordinates even though she knows exactly how many of those customers have come in each day.

You are correct about the United States having... issues, but all things considered just being an atheist isn't so bad. Only maybe one in 10 people give you so much as a strange look.