Totally. Communication has never spread faster and more wildly. Viral was never this efficient.

In line with that thinking McDonalds is the equivalent to the Medieval cathedral. You can see the Golden Arches from some distance as you would the spire. You know you’ve arrived in a civilised part of the country. You will receive rest and sustenance. The internet is the secular community and McDonalds the secular cathedral.

Look what‘s written in „holy books“,
Listen and watch what religious people say and do.
There are no better promoters for Atheism.

If used correctly

I think that this is correct. Online forums provide a safe place for doubt, and atheist podcasts and youtubes make it easier for people to explore their doubts.

Can’t really say definitely, but it would seem a logical deduction. The proliferation of Fake News is due almost entirely to the Internet, social media in particular. Conspiracy theories too have multiplied due to It. It is easy to access the views of Dawkins, Hitchens et al, via YouTube, whereas prior to that you would have had to buy their books. Personally, I was born into a family of freethinkers so never had to go looking anywhere to learn to think for myself, but recognise that I am in the minority.

The simple answer is yes. The Internet is pretty much just a big bank of information some accurate some inaccurate so I shouldn't come as any shock that the Idea that imagery friends not existing spreads when you look at the level of what is up against. Personally I didn't need the Internet discover this for myself I learnt it in primary school.

YouTube was what did it for me. The one person that influenced me that I was an atheist is a former Mormon tagged as AZSuperman01. And through him I found others, such as The Thinking Atheist (the man whose voice is worth . 75 Morgan Freemans), AronRa, Matt Dillahunty, Paulogia, Viced Rhino, and others.

The internet might provide some social network, but it is a poor substitute for physical human interaction. Would you be ok to exclusively date someone via only online interaction? I know that's an extreme example, but I think you can understand my point.

As far as helping to become atheist, absolutely. It provides an avenue for people to do further research, investigate biblical apologetics and history. I had my doubts for years, but kept being told to just have faith. As I was filling in one summer when our youth pastor left for another church, I dove into online research to ensure I did not misrepresent anything. It was at this point I finally couldn't keep denying my doubts and suspicions.

With the internet people have access to info. that they get from area they live in or people that raised them. The internet helped me make the descision to leave religious bs and become the enlightened man I am now. It also helps with community. I enjoy the community I found here. It might lead to religion free world.

The connectivity we find online can help replace a lot of negative thought patterns. Most religion was a function of philosophy + tribalism + control of the elders. The internet is helping foster education, globalism, and unifying the set of knowledge and experiences that used to separate us. Geography and skin color no longer matter. There are no good people with god on their side and no bad people serving the wrong master to separate us. There is only good ideas n bad ideas and the more transparent the world becomes to itself, the less mystery and fear can be used to alienate. Its a very good thing.

Of course it helps. An infinite supply of information, opinion, and activism one would not be exposed to otherwise. When information is shared by someone we trust we are more willing to consider it's merit.

I'm not exactly old, but at the time when I figured it out the internet wasnt quite there yet. Actually reading a bible, then afterward reading on Wicca along with other beliefs eventually led me where I am today.

I think that's part of the reason the internet can help people leave religion. The other part is information. Some people will stick their head in the sand but informed people make informed decisions, and that is incompatible with religion.

Of coarse it can help people become atheist, it can also help them become Christian or any of the plethora of Religions. Internet deals in information, plain and simple.

I personally don't think the Internet and social networks can replace community, I think that you need a connection that is too difficult if not impossible to achieve on line.

If people actually used social networking they way it should be, to bring people together, in real life, instead of just staying in touch then maybe.

I see society lean more and more away from each other, it's a little unnerving. We don't call, we text, instead of going out for coffee, it's a Skype chat, why because it's easier. We are social creatures, we need other people or we go crazy as a shit house rat.

Last time I saw the youths use of social media was declining, if anything I think they see the pitfalls better than we do, why, I think they've been watching us.

I would say it helps me be more open about it. Most of the people around me are bible belt people. Being able to talk about being my atheism has helped me come out of the closet about it. I am from Generation X , I do not know how other generations are affected, but am interest in knowing.

If it's the youth of today ..I very much doubt it, as they appear to be too inmmersed in snapchat and instagram ...in between the obsessive selfies...

I'm sure I was atheist before the internet, but with the internet I found others who thought like me, and it was very comforting, and provided more information that validated my beliefs. Various internet groups became my "congregation" where I could find like minded individuals and feel a comaraderie of sorts.

I think the Internet is too broad of a topic. You can find community in many groups, the Internet provides a good place where humans might find that. It seems that the freedom of the Internet leads to all kinds of fact if that's what you're looking for and fiction if you don't require facts.