What is digital sobriety?
To delve into the subject, it is crucial to understand and incorporate the concept of digital sobriety. But what does digital sobriety mean?
Digital sobriety is the practice of using the Internet and digital technologies more consciously.
It emerged as a potential solution to address the environmental impact of the increasing use of digital technology. What it advocates for is the reduction of internet and digital consumption and the incorporation of responsible measures (Péréa et al., 2023).
In order to put digital sobriety into practice, the first thing to do is to evaluate the ecological digital footprints and CO2 emissions resulting from everyday digital operations that are undertaken. This evaluation can allow the development of an action plan that includes alternative actions to implement to reduce these impacts (Nikolaou, 2024).
It might seem that digital sobriety is challenging conventional approaches to digital transformation in organisations, but in reality it is actually proposing a more sustainable way of applying digital means.
Digital sobriety in the cultural sector
The digital world is in continuous evolution, this makes it essential for museums to remain informed about both its benefits and its environmental impacts. By embracing digital sobriety, museums can ensure that their technological advancements do not come at the expense of our planet. Digital sobriety is a powerful tool that museums of any size can integrate into their sustainability efforts. Whether a museum is very reliant on digital technology or is only now beginning to digitise its operations, adopting digital sobriety practices will offer great benefits for everyone on different levels. These benefits include reduced environmental impact, ensured cost savings, and enhanced public perception of the museum as a leader in sustainable practices.
In the next section we will go into the details of the carbon footprint generated by common and daily digital activities and then move to taking actions that integrate digital sobriety in the operations in relevance to the museum sectors.