Earth Day, commemorated on 22 April, serves as a reminder of our responsibility to protect the environment. While traditional approaches like reducing plastic consumption are well-known, there are less obvious methods that also have a significant impact. One such method is minimising our personal digital waste. Although it may not be as tangible as plastic in the ocean, digital waste can have real-world consequences for energy consumption and environmental health. To help reduce our digital footprint, Kaspersky is suggesting the adoption of a few simple practices.
Personal digital waste increases through actions many of us engage in daily while using the web. Every email, photo, video, and document we save online requires energy-intensive data centers to store and manage this information. Digital activities such as high-definition streaming and the use of cloud services are also increasing our carbon footprint due to data processing and constant energy consumption. Moreover, the accumulation of “digital clutter”, like old emails, duplicate files, and unused applications, contributes further to energy usage as these systems continuously manage and back up redundant or outdated data.
Recognising and reducing these behaviours can significantly decrease our personal digital waste. Kaspersky experts share some hacks for a more environment-friendly digital experience:
Effective management of digital waste can be enhanced by optimising email usage
Unsubscribing from unnecessary newsletters and promotional emails reduces the flow of digital waste and the load on servers. Regularly clearing out old or irrelevant emails and emptying the email trash can free up significant amounts of server space. These actions contribute to the reduction of energy required to manage data, and help decrease digital waste overall.
Opting for lower quality settings decreases the digital footprint
Reducing the quality of settings on streaming sites, particularly when high definition is not essential, can substantially lower data usage and energy consumption. This practice is especially useful when listening to audio in the background or watching content on smaller screens, where the enhanced resolution offers little benefit.
Regular audit of storages makes a difference
Minimising digital waste is effectively achieved by regularly reviewing and deleting old, redundant, or unnecessary files from cloud services. It is also beneficial to avoid duplicating files across multiple devices or platforms. Furthermore, consolidating digital assets such as photos and videos, and removing copies, enhances the efficiency of digital resource use. At the same time the best option to store important documents is with the help of security solutions, as they provide encrypted vaults for personal information.
Managing apps raises energy efficiency and safety
Uninstalling applications and software that are rarely used can significantly decrease the volume of stored data and the resources required for maintenance. Disabling auto-start settings for applications that do not require continuous operation also reduces background data transfer and power consumption.
Furthermore, modern security solutions such as Kaspersky Premium allow for better control over the data collected by apps, such as location or search history. Utilising these security measures minimises the amount of data processed while simultaneously enhancing the safety of the Internet experience.
“Deleting old and duplicate information is not only highly beneficial to enhancing security, maintaining privacy, and controlling users’ data, but it is also an environmentally friendly practice. Furthermore, modern comprehensive security solutions serve as reliable allies both in safeguarding personal data and protecting the environment,” comments Anna Larkina, web content analysis expert at Kaspersky.
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