Digital sobriety: From awareness of the negative impacts of IT usages to degrowth technology at work

Céline Péréa (), Jessica Gérard () and Julien de Benedittis ()
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Céline Péréa: CERAG - Centre d'études et de recherches appliquées à la gestion - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes
Jessica Gérard: CERAG - Centre d'études et de recherches appliquées à la gestion - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes
Julien de Benedittis: Mines Saint-Étienne MSE - École des Mines de Saint-Étienne - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], COACTIS - COnception de l'ACTIon en Situation - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne, FAYOL-ENSMSE - Institut Henri Fayol - Mines Saint-Étienne MSE - École des Mines de Saint-Étienne - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], FAYOL-ENSMSE - Département Management responsable et innovation - ENSM ST-ETIENNE - Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de St Etienne - Institut Henri Fayol

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Abstract: The rise of digital technologies has led to growing concern over their environmental impact, prompting the emergence of the phenomenon of digital sobriety. Rooted in the principles of degrowth technology, digital sobriety advocates for reduced technology usage to create a more sustainable society. However, it contrasts with typical frameworks that promote the continued use of IT. Furthermore, it runs counter to the prevailing trend of digital transformation within organisations, which is expected to expand in the future. As a result, it challenges conventional approaches to IT usage and the associated contextual factors. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the concept of digital sobriety, examining its relationship to conventional approaches as well as the degrowth technology perspective. The study explores how digital sobriety is implemented within organisations and how it is perceived by IT users. Thirty-three participants from IT companies were included and the scope and characteristics of the phenomenon of digital sobriety were identified, including five levels of IT user maturity: refutation, inaction, substitution, optimisation, and disadoption/degrowth. The results highlight the need to balance the internal and external factors of digital sobriety and identify different trajectories of digital sobriety as socio-technical imaginaries for the future of IT.

Keywords: Digital carbon footprint; Digital sobriety; Degrowth technology; IT uses; Green IT; Socio-technical imaginaries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-09
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Published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2023, 194, pp.122670. ⟨10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122670⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:emse-04116949

DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122670

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