Digital society has grown into a machine too complex to fully comprehend. Digital development has been treated in isolation, ignoring wide-ranging implications for society, and discussion regarding a sustainable digital transition is still very much in development. Danes are aware that their general actions affect the sustainable transition of society, but they don’t know their digital behavior is a critical component for sustainable change.

In other areas Danes do consider sustainability matters, such as transportation, grocery shopping, and energy consumption. The number of electric vehicles sold is rising (1), the share of organic products sold is rising (2), and people are more willing to sort their waste (3). But when it comes to the digital sphere, knowledge and focus are lacking. Advice’s survey shows that Danes generally don’t reflect on sustainable or unsustainable effects of digital technologies. 83% of Danes state they can’t comprehend how digitalization affects society, and 66% do not consider sustainability as a parameter when they download and use apps.

Modern life is embedded in digital technology. 98% of Danish residents use the internet, and 90% use the internet daily (4). Young people spend more than five hours on social media daily (5). Our social lives and our digital behavior are intertwined, and the distinction between the two is often invisible. Communication, shopping, social life, and work takes place online.

Nonetheless, the digital revolution brings about challenges that are rarely part of public conversation.

To this day, the world has seen multiple divides in attitudes between East and West regarding new opportunities that the digital transition supports. Approaches to the use of facial recognition, new forms of digital assembly, or freedom of speech in the digital realm differ vastly across nations. There are multiple instances of government intervention – in Russia, China, and the Philippines – taking advantage of biases and excluding mechanisms to suppress their populations. Digital platforms also open possibilities for ‘gig’ work, which adds a sense of freedom to the individual’s life but challenges our collective agreements and social security schemes. Digital platforms affect people on multiple personal levels. Our mental health is challenged when the algorithms are optimized for length of use, and studies show many algorithms contribute to sustaining bias based on gender, age, and ethnicity (6). Meanwhile recent studies suggest reducing recreational digital screen use improves adults' well-being and mood (7).

The digital transition has an enormous impact on our everyday lives. But as societies, and as individuals, we are ill-equipped to handle digitalization in a way that complements our ability to live healthy and sustainable lives.

We rely on digital technologies to solve some of the world’s biggest problems - climate change and resource scarcity. But as our digital consumption increases worldwide, the need to act on the environmental impact of digitalization becomes more pressing.

New technologies and big data environments are not free from greenhouse gas emissions. Digital activity relies on an enormous quantity of energy, and the environmental effects should not be overlooked. Currently, there is a lack of transparency surrounding new digital technologies, such as the carbon footprint from data storage, or the environmental damage caused by materials used in phones, tablets, computers, and other hardware. The environmental impact will continue to rise as more citizens gain access to digital services and devices, and extremely polluting technologies such as streaming and blockchain technology gain even more momentum.

The full environmental impact of our digital behavior is largely invisible. It is easier to conceive of negative effects when we can see the results of certain actions – oil floating in the ocean, plastic littering public spaces, car exhaust, and rising temperatures. And so, we are subject to an optical illusion, because algorithms and data are invisible and therefore difficult to grasp. But the population is invested. 69% of Danish residents agree that technological inventions are essential for the sustainable transition, while 51% of the population are convinced their actions in relation to digital technologies matter for society.

As societies, companies, and individuals, we need to understand the mechanics of new digital technologies in order to pursue optimal solutions. While certain digital technologies contribute to negative environmental effects, these technologies also lead to new sustainable, often circular business models.

More attention should be brought to the ways digital technologies can contribute positively to the green transition – whether it’s by integrating low impact design in the digital solutions or by rethinking digital business models entirely.