Many digital platforms are designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible through infinite feeds, autoplay videos, and constant notifications. This can lead to excessive digital consumption, unnecessary data use, and energy waste. Consider alternative feed structures that do not rely on endless scrolling and make it easier for users to clean up old content, reducing server load.
Social Media & Infinite Scroll
Instead of endless scrolling, use a “Load More” but-ton so that data is only loaded when needed. Also, make it easy for users to delete old posts or other irrelevant content.
Streaming & Autoplay
Let users choose streaming quality, implement a “Ask before playing the next episode” feature, and disable autoplay by default. This helps reduce data consumption and CO2 footprint.
Recommendations:
- Limit infinite scrolling: Avoid automatically loading content; instead, offer a “Load More” button.
- Introduce user control: Let users decide when videos should start and in what quality.
- Content cleanup: Make it easy to delete outdated data or inactive posts to reduce unnecessary server load.
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