大象传媒

In this special programme for 大象传媒 Radio 2's Faith in the World Week, Nelufar Hedayat considers the challenges facing young people in today's multi-media, multi-faith world.

Nelufar, a Muslim brought up in Britain, meets teenagers of all faiths - Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs and Buddhists - to find out whether it is easier or harder to follow a faith today than it was for their parents. They offer their thoughts on growing up in multi-faith Britain and the distractions of mobile phones, the challenges of being devout and the sacrifices that have to be made to follow a belief.

Nelufar travels to Brighton to meet Hindu peer Lord Dholakia, who tells stories of a tough life growing up in the 1960s as the only Indian politician in the town, and she practices mindfulness with Buddhists in Bethnal Green. She discusses why some young people of non-Christian faith feel excluded from a sense of being 'British' with sociology of religion professor Adam Dinham before meeting a mother who tells the tragic story of her son becoming radicalised and going to Syria where he was killed in an air strike.

Growing up nowadays is far more complex for today's teenagers than it was for their parents, child health psychologist Aric Sigman tells the programme, and social cohesion expert Father Phil Sumner says the increasing display of Muslim hijabs is not necessarily a sign of that community feeling more secure, but actually more marginalised.

Plus there's music from Mavis Staples, Elbow, Desmond Dekker and Louis Armstrong.

Producer: Vince Hunt.