Making the Invisible Visible: Teaching Students About the Hidden Environmental Costs of Digital Activities

Abstract

The environmental impact of digital consumption remains largely invisible to students.
While universities increasingly promote artificial intelligence (AI) and digital expansion,
few students are encouraged to consider the environmental costs of these technologies.
Drawing from my experience incorporating ecological lessons into library instruction sessions
at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM), this article explores how information
literacy sessions can highlight the resource use of online behaviors. Through interactive
exercises and discussions, students understand how their digital habits contribute to global
environmental challenges and learn sustainable digital practices