Staying glued to our screens for the latest political news and searching for celebrity gossip, often referred to as “doom scrolling,” is not only a waste of time, but has a significant environmental impact. With every refresh and scroll, data centers around the world are working overtime, consuming energy and increasing carbon emissions. The rise of 24/7 news cycles, amplified during major events like election season, has made doom scrolling – the compulsive checking of updates and social media feeds – a common habit. The term describes a repetitive and often anxious scrolling cycle of endless feeds, where each swipe and refresh contributes to a growing digital carbon footprint. While use of email and video Streaming has long been associated with high energy demand, with the environmental impact of social media and high-frequency news applications gaining increasing attention. Each gigabyte (GB) of data transfer uses energy, often derived from carbon-intensive sources, creating emissions that accumulate as millions of people engage in real-time online activities.

Carbon emissions linked to digital consumption

To understand the environmental impact of doom scrolling, we must first consider the data centers that power online activity. Data centers are large facilities housing the servers that handle social media, email, and video streaming. According to CyberNews, every hour spent on social networks generates around 6g of CO₂ emissions, which adds up as users around the world spend hours scrolling daily.

These centers consume significant energy for data storage, cooling systems and processing. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that data centers alone account for 1% of global electricity consumption, a figure that is expected to increase as online activity grows. Social media, email servers and news apps require constant processing power, emitting CO₂ with every update and message. For example, using Instagram for a minute produces about 1.5g of CO₂, which quickly accumulates during hours of doom scrolling. If you are curious about your personal carbon footprint, “Compare the Market” has a calculator you can use.

Comparing the carbon footprints of different technologies

How does doom scrolling compare to other forms of digital consumption? While an hour of video streaming produces around 55g of CO₂, doom scrolling is often a prolonged, repeated behavior that can total up to similar shows over time. According to The Shift Project, an organization focused on reducing the environmental impact of technology, digital activities now contribute 4% of global CO₂ emissions, a figure that rivals the footprint of the aviation industry. As the number of Internet users increases and online activity intensifies, these emissions are expected to increase by 6% per year.

Technology companies are increasingly aware of this impact. For example, Microsoft has committed to reducing emissions from its cloud services by improving data center efficiency. Other companies like Google are investing in carbon-saving technologies to power their servers with renewable energy sources. However, the need to raise awareness and change consumer behavior is equally important to reduce overall emissions.

Behavioral Insights and Sustainable Technology

Considering the cumulative effect of individual online habits, users and businesses can make a difference. On the consumer side, limiting screen time and being mindful of energy consumption (like downloading news articles instead of constantly refreshing feeds) are small but effective ways to reduce their personal digital footprint . Social media platforms are also exploring ways to help users adopt greener habits, including features to track time spent online and encourage periodic breaks.

On the business side, companies can do more to mitigate the environmental impact of online platforms. Many reports encourage technology companies to improve the energy efficiency of their data centers and adopt carbon offset measures. Some platforms have started to introduce low-power modes that lower data transfer rates for users, which can reduce emissions by up to 20%.

Solutions and future prospects

Innovative technologies are emerging to support a sustainable digital landscape. Carbon-efficient cloud solutions, such as those developed by Microsoft and Google, aim to reduce data center emissions by powering servers with renewable energy. CloudZero recent findings indicate that technology companies that invest in renewable energy sources and server efficiency could reduce their emissions by up to 80%.

Through a combination of tech industry initiatives and user awareness, it is possible to reduce doom scrolling’s carbon footprint and its damage to the planet. “As consumers and businesses increasingly look to reduce their carbon footprint, optimizing the use of technology presents a powerful opportunity for positive change,” notes Bill Buckley, senior vice president of engineering CloudZero’s collaborative approach to solutions has the greatest potential for lasting impact.