On the sustainability of digital media

Abstract

In the need to keep up with rapid innovations individuals and enterprises are urged to connect to the largest global computer network comprised of billions of interconnected devices, servers, and the underlying infrastructure. Most people are aware of the fact that the digital world has a significant environmental impact. This awareness drive the efforts of companies and organisations to make a good impression in this aspect as well. The World Wide Web Consortium recently introduced Web Sustainability Guidelines to make web products and services more sustainable. Efficiency indices were created and standardised to quantify data centre's total power effectiveness. It has a high marketing value wether the infrastructure runs on clean energy. Stakeholders of the internet seem to be willing to take efforts towards the usual goals of environmental awareness. The the concept of sustainability is multifaceted and so is digital media's sphere of influence. The UN sustainable development goals may provide a comprehensive framework for evaluation, the supportin institutions generally look positively on the impact of digitization and digital media regarding society and economy. Although sustainability has a wider scope than just the environment, putting prosperity and people before the planet would be a backward step. This study aims to highlight crucial aspects and trends that may direct ICT developments, including digital media, towards a more sustainable future.