Behavioural (lifestyle), physiological, biochemical or cognitive mechanisms are responsible for these impacts (Lemétayer, 2023). Most often, these mechanisms are interrelated, as in the case of sleep disorders, which can be caused by the encroachment of screen time on sleep time, by the effects of blue light and by cognitive overstimulation.

Research also shows the psychosocial effects of “over-investment in online relationships or activities,” which can lead to relationship problems in all spheres of life (family, work, school) (Lemétayer, 2023).

In the province of Québec, one in two people report spending too much time in front of screens, a proportion that rises to 67% among adults part of the “digital” generation (18 to 25 years old). Canadians spend an average of 40% of their waking time in front of screens (NETendances, 2023, p. 9).

There is growing concern about the environmental and social consequences of hyperconnectivity. The National Assembly of Québec has also created a Special Commission on the impacts of screens and social networks on the health and development of young people (Commission spéciale portant sur les impacts des écrans et des réseaux sociaux sur la santé et le développement des jeunes), whose public hearings were held in September 2024.

Digital sobriety now appears to be a necessary shift, both to reduce the environmental footprint of digital technology and to address public health issues.

Should digital sobriety also be considered from the perspective of student success? 

Discover the summary infographic

This visual brings together the main points of the article and proposes avenues for reflection to foster commitment to digital sobriety.

Check out the infographic

In France, the objective of digital sobriety is laid down in the law aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of digital technology (Loi visant à réduire l’empreinte environnementale du numérique) (adopted in 2021). This law requires institutions to raise awareness among students about digital sobriety as soon as they enter higher education, and to include eco-design in engineering training. In the wake of this law, a partnership was recently formed between the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), research infrastructures (INRIA and CNRS) and a community of tech players (Latitudes) to “raise awareness and train higher education in digital sobriety.”

In this issue of Wide Angle, ORES offers insights into the following questions:

1. What is digital sobriety?

2. Why promote it?

3. What practices can support digital sobriety?

What is Digital Sobriety?

A Conscious Choice

Digital sobriety is linked to the principles of “moderation” and “discernment.” This concept was first developed in response to the environmental impacts of digital technology, and aims to “make the use of digital technology compatible with planetary limits, while preserving equitable access to the benefits it generates, for our contemporaries as well as for future generations” (CEST, 2024, p. 66).

The digital sobriety approach invites us to reconsider our digital habits, to become aware of their effects and to promote uses that have fewer negative impacts. In short, it is about “moving from a use of digital technology that has become instinctive to a use of digital technology that is conscious and thoughtful” (Shift Project, 2020, p. 18).

While this principle can inspire changes in individual behaviours (making eco-responsible purchases, extending the lifespan of one’s devices and so on), individual actions must “resonate with a global approach” that involves “all the players in the digital value chain (governments, organizations, companies, consumers and so on)” (CEST, 2023a, 2023b). Ultimately, a societal shift toward digital sobriety requires “integrating it into the agenda of different areas of public policy” (Obvia, 2024, p. 35).

A Matter of Values

Sobriety is rooted in an ethical reflection on digital technology, “so that individual actions are consistent with values such as preserving the environment, fighting climate change, and ensuring the physical and mental health of populations” (CEST, 2023b).

A commitment to sobriety therefore implies questioning certain social norms and values that permeate the dynamics of technological innovations in our societies, such as novelty, speed, individualism and progress (in terms of growth). Conversely, sobriety promotes sustainability, slowness, community and frugality (Szilas, 2024). For many authors, the notion of digital sobriety is inseparable from the notion of “degrowth” (Péréa & al., 2023).

Some Key Concepts Related to Digital Sobriety
  • Prioritization of uses: A collective and democratic approach to identify digital uses that must be preserved and those that must be limited, for the common good. In the absence of such a concerted approach, “difficult choices will eventually impose themselves due to the pressure linked to the scarcity of the raw materials required to produce digital technology” (CEST, 2024, p. 5).
  • The rebound effect: A paradoxical phenomenon by which “the gains linked to optimization are either reinvested in an increased use of the more efficient technology (direct rebound), or in other technologies or resources (indirect rebound)” (CEST, 2024, p. 2). Thus, the advances of recent decades in energy efficiency and miniaturization, rather than leading to an overall reduction in energy and raw material consumption, have instead sparked a rampant increase in digital production and consumption.
  • Low-tech: An approach that aims, “from a sustainability perspective, to question our real needs and develop solutions that are as minimally ‘’technologized’’ as possible” to address them (Guimbretiere & al., 2022, p. 3).
  • Eco-design: An approach that “looks at the digital service in its entirety”: hardware, software and infrastructures. Eco-designed applications, websites or software are able to work “on older devices and less efficient networks.” Eco-design also allows “using existing infrastructures for longer periods (networks, computer centres and so on) without having to replace them or add new ones” (Baton & Faubry, 2024).

Why Make the Shift to Digital Sobriety?

An Environmental Footprint That is Constantly Growing

Seventy-eight percent of the environmental footprint of digital technology comes from the extraction of raw materials, the manufacturing of equipment, and the construction of data centres and networks, with 21% being linked to its use (Obvia, 2024, p. 33).  Streaming is responsible for 60% of data traffic worldwide (Efoui-Hess, 2019). Today, digital technology represents around 10% of the electricity consumed and 3% to 4% of GHGs in the world, figures that are growing.

This already unsustainable trend is exacerbated by the progression of generative artificial intelligence (AI), which uses “30 times more energy than a classic search engine” (Leiser, 2024). Upstream, the training of AI models is particularly energy-consuming, with some releasing as much as the equivalent of the emissions of five average automobiles over their entire life (Massen, 2024).

The environmental and social impacts of digital technology also include the reduction of biodiversity, the consumption of drinking water, human exploitation and pollution linked to mining activities, as well as the consequences of the export of electronic waste.

Effects on Health

Screen use is associated with various effects on the health of populations.

Effects on physical health: Sedentary lifestyle, eye and musculoskeletal disorders, sleep problems (INSPQ, 2024b)

Effects on mental health: Self-esteem and body image issues, stress, anxiety, depression, addictions (INSPQ, 2024b)

Behavioural (lifestyle), physiological, biochemical or cognitive mechanisms are responsible for these impacts (Lemétayer, 2023). Most often, these mechanisms are interrelated, as in the case of sleep disorders, which can be caused by the encroachment of screen time on sleep time, by the effects of blue light and by cognitive overstimulation.

Research also shows the psychosocial effects of “over-investment in online relationships or activities,” which can lead to relationship problems in all spheres of life (family, work, school) (Lemétayer, 2023).

Effects on Learning

Digital distraction is a barrier to learning in school settings. Studies indicate that the mere fact of having a smartphone on your desk impairs attention and comprehension, and increases the level of anxiety of students in class (Huey & Giguere, 2023). A French study, based on 1,600 hours of observation of higher education students, shows that the use of digital devices in class is mostly devoted to activities unrelated to the course (social media, games and so on) (Shift Project, 2020, p. 100‑101).

The state of research, recently synthesized by the INSPQ, shows that in the classroom, “digital multitasking is detrimental to learning” and that “the presence of cell phones interferes with [certain] cognitive skills” (INSPQ, 2024a, p. 26‑27). The studies collated by the INSPQ also tend to show that reading on paper allows for a better understanding of the content than reading on digital media.

What is Attention Economy?

Social networks and digital platforms are deliberately designed to monopolize the attention of users for as long as possible: incessant notifications, infinite scrolling of pages, automatic reading, content that stimulates emotions, filter bubbles and so on. This business model of digital giants, which is increasingly known, is believed to encourage compulsive consumption, even digital addiction, and is not unrelated to the recent development of psychosocial pathologies such as FOMO syndrome (fear of missing out) or nomophobia (the obsessive fear of being separated from one’s phone) (Alombert & Kokshagina, 2022).

Attention can be seen as a “critical cognitive resource, in other words limited,” (Forestier, 2023) that is important to care for. From this point of view, “attentional sobriety” is intrinsically linked to digital sobriety.

What Practices Support Digital Sobriety?

Developing Sobriety Literacy

The notion of sobriety, and more broadly all approaches linked to “the responsible use of digital technology,” is increasingly being addressed in the public space and in research. However, it remains quite rarely implemented in the world of education, particularly in higher education (Descamps & al., 2022). The notion of digital sobriety is, to date, generally absent from digital skills frameworks.

What would constitute a skill in digital sobriety?
  • An understanding of the environmental and social impacts of digital technologies;
  • Knowledge of the actions required to reduce the environmental footprint of digital technology. A number of actions are, to a certain extent[1], within the reach of individuals; for example, extending the lifespan of their devices, sharing them, limiting streaming. Other actions must rather be deployed at the political (legislative frameworks) or institutional level (opting for free software and open licenses, limiting the collection, storage and exploitation of data, promoting eco-designed digital services).
  • A critical reflection on the anchoring of hyperconnectivity in social and cultural norms that are difficult to undo. The challenge, according to the Observatoire sur les impacts sociétaux de l’IA et du numérique, is to “make sobriety socially desirable, through collective co-construction approaches using stimulating storytelling” (Obvia, 2024, p. 35).

[1] Only up to a certain point, as barriers such as planned obsolescence of devices, software obsolescence (e.g., the impossibility of making updates), economic obsolescence (e.g., when the price of repair exceeds the price of a new device) or psychological obsolescence (the attraction of new devices, notably generated by advertising) considerably reduce the capacity of individuals to make sober choices (CEST, 2024, p. 38‑39).

The 3RV principle

The 3RV principle (reduction at the source, reuse, recycling, valorization), included in the Politique québécoise de gestion des matières résiduelles, also applies to digital consumption. This model must be interpreted based on a hierarchical logic, the first terms prevailing over the following ones. A number of authors have added other “R”s to this model:

  • Reflect (on one’s actual needs);
  • Reject (unnecessary equipment or service);
  • Reduce;
  • Repair one’s devices;
  • Reuse;
  • Recycle (or add value).

Institutional Stakeholders can Take Action

For higher education institutions, “orienting technological choices toward digital sobriety” constitutes a major challenge (Vahl, 2023, p. 15). Implementing digital sobriety principles on an institutional scale requires, among other things (Vahl, 2023, p. 15):

  • The involvement of administrators at the highest institutional level;
  • A strategic vision in the short, medium, and long term; 
  • The designation of a person responsible for such implementation and intermediaries within the institution;
  • An operating budget;
  • Relevant indicators;
  • An evaluation process;
  • A communication and training strategy.

Within institutions, a concrete commitment to digital sobriety can take different directions, for example through:

  • A policy for sharing equipment (CEST, 2024, p. 87);
  • The integration of environmental criteria into the purchasing policy;
  • A mandate entrusted to libraries which, “as digital resource centres or library of things (loan, mediation, collective provision of infrastructures, terminals and resources), are or must become keystones of digital sobriety and its achievement” (Feurtet, 2023);
  • Support for sobriety initiatives within institutions or in the community (e.g., repair cafés, Fab labs, low-techpractices, pedagogical innovations around digital sobriety and so on);
  • Training to strengthen digital sobriety literacy for the entire university or college community.

For More Information

• Lire le rapport de la Commission de l’éthique en science et en technologie (CEST) sur l’impératif de la sobriété numérique. 

• Surveiller les publications de l’Observatoire sur les impacts sociétaux de l’IA et du numérique (OBVIA), autour de l’axe de recherche Sobriété numérique et transition socio-écologique 

• Explorer les Chemins de transition, un projet co-porté par l’Université de Montréal et Espace pour la vie qui combine prospective, approche participative et systémique pour penser la transition socio-écologique, et notamment le défi numérique. 

• Consulter les travaux de Léa Mosesso, récipiendaire en 2024 d’un prix du Conseil national du numérique (France) pour son mémoire « Vivre avec un smartphone obsolète ».  

• Parcourir les essais rédigés par les étudiantes et étudiants ayant participé au projet 24h (dé)connecté à l’automne 2020, à l’École des médias de l’UQAM. 

Resources and Tools to Discover

• La Fresque du Numérique, un atelier pour mieux comprendre les enjeux environnementaux du numérique. 

• Une formation sur la démarche de conception « low-tech » dans le domaine du numérique, développée par Stéphane Crozat, enseignant-chercheur à l’Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC). 

• Un guide d’écoconception de services numériques, produit par l’association française « Designers Ethiques ». 

• Une capsule vidéo et des ressources sur la cyberdépendance, produites par la Boîte à outils numériques de l’UQAM. 

• L’initiative PAUSE, qui offre des ressources et propose des évènements pour prévenir les risques liés à l’hyperconnectivité. 

• L’Ecoist Club, un « projet d’impact social » qui offre des ateliers et des formations pour sensibiliser aux enjeux de l’écologie numérique. 

References

Alombert, A. et Kokshagina, O. (2022). Votre attention, s’il vous plaît! Quels leviers face à l’économie de l’attention? Conseil national du numérique (France). https://cnnumerique.fr/files/uploads/2022/Livres/CNNum-Votre-attention-sil-vous-plait.pdf 

Baton, A. et Faubry, A. (2024). Guide d’écoconception de services numériques. Designers Éthiques. https://beta.designersethiques.org/fr/thematique-ecoconception/guide-d-ecoconception 

CEST. (2023a). La sobriété numérique et la question de la priorisation des usages collectifs. Commission de l’éthique en science et en technologie. https://www.ethique.gouv.qc.ca/fr/actualites/ethique-hebdo/la-sobriete-numerique-et-la-question-de-la-priorisation-des-usages-collectifs/ 

CEST. (2023b). Sobriété numérique : avantages et limites d’une démarche individuelle. Commission de l’éthique en science et en technologie. https://www.ethique.gouv.qc.ca/fr/actualites/ethique-hebdo/sobriete-numerique-avantages-et-limites-d-une-demarche-individuelle/ 

CEST. (2024). Regard éthique sur les effets environnementaux des technologies numériques au Québec. Commission de l’éthique en science et en technologie. http://www.ethique.gouv.qc.ca/fr/publications/tn-environnement/ 

Descamps, S., Temperman, G. et Lièvre, B. D. (2022). Vers une éducation à la sobriété numérique. Humanités numériques, (5). https://doi.org/10.4000/revuehn.2858 

Efoui-Hess, M. (2019). Climat : l’insoutenable usage de la vidéo en ligne. Un cas pratique pour la sobriété numérique. The Shift Project. https://theshiftproject.org/article/climat-insoutenable-usage-video/ 

Feurtet, J.-M. (2023). Définir et s’approprier la sobriété numérique : enjeu émergent pour l’Enseignement supérieur et la recherche, cap stratégique pour les bibliothèques. Arabesques, (109), 4‑5. https://doi.org/10.35562/arabesques.3409 

Forestier, F. (2023). Concevoir et promouvoir une sobriété attentionnelle : le rôle des bibliothèques. Arabesques, (109), 22‑23. https://doi.org/10.35562/arabesques.3414 

Guimbretiere, G., Hodencq, S. et Balland, M. (2022). Une approche de la Low-tech dans l’Enseignement Supérieur et la Recherche. La pensée écologique. https://hal.science/hal-03585151 

Huey, M. et Giguere, D. (2023). The Impact of Smartphone Use on Course Comprehension and Psychological Well-Being in the College Classroom. Innovative Higher Education, 48(3), 527‑537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-022-09638-1 

INSPQ. (2024a). L’utilisation des écrans en contexte scolaire et la santé des jeunes de moins de 25 ans : effets sur la cognition. Institut national de santé publique du Québec. https://www.inspq.qc.ca/publications/3434 

INSPQ. (2024b, 26 août). Effets des écrans sur la santé mentale et physique. Institut national de santé publique du Québec. https://www.inspq.qc.ca/ecrans-hyperconnectivite/effets-mentale-physique 

Leiser, M. (2024, 15 septembre). L’intelligence artificielle « accélère la crise climatique », signale l’experte Sasha Luccioni. La Presse. https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/techno/2024-09-15/l-intelligence-artificielle-accelere-la-crise-climatique-signale-l-experte-sasha-luccioni.php 

Lemétayer, F. (2023). Un modèle logique pour comprendre les usages des écrans et leurs effets sur la santé des populations. INSPQ – Transfert de connaissances. 

Massen, R. (2024, 27 mars). L’Impact Écologique de l’Intelligence Artificielle : Un Défi à l’Ère du Numérique L’Impact Écologique de l’Intelligence Artificielle : Un Défi à l’Ère du Numérique. Marketing numérique | Digital Marketing | HEC Montréal. https://digital.hec.ca/blog/limpact-ecologique-de-lintelligence-artificielle-un-defi-a-lere-du-numerique/ 

NETendances. (2023). Portrait numérique des foyers québécois. https://transformation-numerique.ulaval.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/netendances-2023-portrait-numerique-des-foyers-quebecois.pdf 

Obvia. (2024). État de la situation sur les impacts sociétaux de l’intelligence artificielle et du numérique – 2024. Observatoire international sur les impacts sociétaux de l’IA et du numérique. https://doi.org/10.61737/CFRT3613 

Péréa, C., Gérard, J. et de Benedittis, J. (2023). Digital sobriety: From awareness of the negative impacts of IT usages to degrowth technology at work. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 194, 122670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122670 

Shift Project. (2020). Deployer la sobrieté numérique. The Shift Project. https://theshiftproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Deployer-la-sobriete-numerique_Rapport-complet_ShiftProject.pdf 

Szilas, N. (2024, 18 juin). Digital Sobriety: from Tips to Values. Tenth Workshop on Computing within Limits. 

Vahl, J.-M. (2023). L’A-DSI met la sobriété numérique au cœur des débats. Dans Urgence sur les sobriétés numériques ! (Agence de mutualisation des universités et établissements d’enseignement supérieur ou de recherche et de support à l’enseignement supérieur ou à la recherche). https://www.amue.fr/fileadmin/amue/systeme-information/documents-publications/la-collection-numerique/amue-collection-numerique-n29-avec_compression.pdf