DIGITAL MEDIA VS PRINT MEDIA
The million dollar question I want to ask is digital media more sustainable than print media? The latest study I can find that answers my question is a study carried out by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute IVL, referenced in WAN-IFRA 2012 carbon footprint of News Publishing report, from a climate change perspective which states that:
🔥Print media is more sustainable when there is a large number of readers per copy while digital media is more sustainable when the user reads on a device for short periods.
🔥 Print media is more sustainable when the use of a device for a specified purpose is low while digital media is more sustainable when the device is used for a specified purpose, such as reading digital newspaper or magazines.
🔥Print media is more sustainable when a device consumes a lot of electricity, and the user keeps it turned on for a long period of time while digital media is sustainable when the device is used for other purposes as well such as reading emails or streaming media.
🔥Print media is more sustainable when the digital media content is being printed out on a home printer to a large extent while digital media is more sustainable when the user refrains from printing the content on a home printer.
Given that people spend 3.7 hours per day on their mobile devices and only a small percentage of that time is spent reading the news, it is pretty clear that based on the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, digital media is better than print media for the environment. Digital media is for the classy ladies and gentlemen.... The print media although still significant, does not compare to digital media.
Wow