Repercussions of digital pollution |
Pakistan’s push towards digitalization is often portrayed as an unqualified success story. Rapid growth in mobile connectivity, digital payments, e-commerce, artificial intelligence and online platforms is seen as a pathway to economic modernization, financial inclusion and improved governance. Yet beneath this optimistic narrative lies a largely not examined reality: the rising phenomenon of digital pollution and its growing economic, environmental and social costs.
Unlike conventional pollution, digital pollution is not immediately visible. It does not leave smog in the air or effluent in rivers, but its impacts are just as real. Digital pollution refers to the negative externalities created by excessive, inefficient and poorly regulated digital activity. These include mounting electronic waste, expanding energy consumption by digital infrastructure, data inefficiencies, information overload and the spread of misinformation. As Pakistan’s digital footprint grows, the cost of ignoring these consequences continues to rise.
One of the most direct manifestations of digital pollution is energy consumption. Data centers, mobile towers, cloud computing services and internet infrastructure require uninterrupted electricity. In Pakistan, where power generation remains expensive and carbon-intensive, this demand places additional strain on an already fragile energy system. Every surge in digital activity, whether video streaming, online transactions or AI-driven analytics; quietly adds to electricity demand, fuel imports and........