The eco-materiality of digital media: (Towards) A theoretical framework

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues in contemporary society, yet questions regarding the relationship of digital media and their socio-ecological consequences remain wide open (Kannengießer & McCurdy, 2020). Digital media are paradoxical, as on the one hand, they are an essential democratic infrastructure, and on the other, they are one of the largest contributors to current CO2 emissions. Already in 2011, digital communication was estimated to produce as much CO2 as the aviation industry (Raghavan & Ma, 2011; Vestberg et al., 2014). With the rapid implementation of energy-intensive AI solutions as communication assistants, this estimate is expected to grow exponentially (Saenko, 2023). Considering the severity of the climate crisis, a critical assessment of how to study digital media from an ecological point of view is crucial. Drawing on previous work within media and sustainability studies, this study develops a theoretical framework centered around the notion of eco-materiality, equally highlighting infrastructural dimensions such as energy, resources, and waste and socio-contextual issues such as user behavior and the cultural context. Drawing on a case study focusing on the use of generative AI, carried out in the digital hub Chiang Mai, Thailand, the value of the proposed framework is demonstrated.