An awareness-based model to minimize the environmental damage of the internet usage: A Longitudinal Study

TL;DR

This study explores whether increasing awareness about environmental impacts can effectively reduce individual internet usage to mitigate climate change effects, based on a longitudinal survey experiment.

Contribution

It introduces an awareness-based model aimed at minimizing internet-related environmental damage through a population survey experiment.

Findings

Awareness can influence internet usage behavior.

Reducing internet usage may contribute to lower carbon emissions.

The model provides a potential strategy for sustainable internet use.

Abstract

The record-breaking increase of internet usage in 2020 with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has made us think about the alarming consequences of it in the aspect of climate change. As countries go into lockdown the use of the internet to perform tasks remotely has increased in record numbers. As per the trend and at times addictive nature of its usage, it is unlikely that the usage of the internet will decrease in the future reducing its current contribution to climate change. Considering the sustainability perspective, this study investigates whether the pervasive nature of internet usage could be reduced by simply inducing awareness. A population-based survey experiment comprising of 326 respondents was employed to investigate if awareness alone could reduce individual internet usage.