Can Social Networking Save the Environment?
GOOD, a great magazine and web site about social issues and sustainable living, posted this blog last week about how Facebook and Twitter could actually be good for the environment.
How? The article argues that for a long time, people have expressed themselves through the purchase and display of physical goods. This obviously takes its toll on the environment in the long-run, especially as we consume more and more.
But with the advent of social networking, millions of people around the world are beginning to express themselves online. We’re making meaning for ourselves this way, being entertained, providing entertainment for others, etc. Basically, we’re spending a lot of our time communicating with one another, instead of purchasing and consuming stuff.
What do you think? Is this just some environmentalist spin on new technology, or could we actually be stemming the tide of the negative effects of consumerism? How might this help our world, and us as individuals?
06/30/2009 at 12:08 pm
great post – your thoughts remind me of a talk given by christine yount jones – editor of children’s ministry magazine in which she referenced the strategy/messaging behind the green movement. she talked about how often we hear the message that simple, small changes that each of us can participate in – is what really will change the environment for good. i definitely believe that message – that if i take my re-usable bag to the grocery store, or turn the lights off after i leave a room – things really can change. it feels like online technology is another simple, small way we can all contribute to making a difference.