Streaming platforms automatically play the next episode or video because the average person doesn’t turn it off. But switching off autoplay is one of the simplest micro-habits you can adopt to reduce energy consumption and digital emissions—and it supports SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG 13: Climate Action.
What the Research Says — Why Digital Habits (Including Streaming) Matter
- The global ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sector consumed about 4% of global electricity in 2020 and was responsible for ~1.4% of global greenhouse-gas emissions that year. (Source: ICT sector electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions – 2020 Outcome)
- Data centers and communication networks — core infrastructure behind streaming, cloud services, and online traffic — currently account for around 1% of global electricity consumption and their electricity demand is projected to grow significantly in the coming years. (Source: What the data centre and AI boom could mean for the energy sector by IEA, Oct 2024)
- Streaming video is concretely linked to carbon emissions: for example, one hour of streaming video in 2019 was estimated to produce roughly 36 g CO₂. (Source: The carbon footprint of streaming video: fact-checking the headlines by IEA)
- The full “carbon cost of streaming” — including data-centers, networks, and user devices — is non-negligible. Online streaming and on-demand video are increasingly recognized as contributing to the emissions tied to the digital ecosystem. (Source: The Carbon Cost of Streaming by Greenly, 2025)
The Micro-Action
Disable autoplay on your main streaming and social platforms.
This includes:
- YouTube
- Netflix
- TikTok
- Prime Video
- Disney+
- Hulu
The goal isn’t “watch less forever.” It’s simply to stop watching by accident.
Why This Works
Autoplay hijacks two human behaviors:
- We tend to keep consuming until something stops us.
- Decision friction makes us avoid switching apps or stopping.
Turn autoplay off once → and the friction helps you instead of working against you.
This tiny change:
- Reduces energy use
- Lowers data demand
- Cuts overall streaming time without any self-discipline
- Helps attention, sleep, mindfulness, and productivity
It’s like putting a speed bump in front of your digital habits.
The Impact
Let’s take a very common scenario:
- You watch one show but autoplay runs 3 episodes, without you really wanting to.
- Multiply that by a few nights per week.
Even small reductions in streaming time cascade into less energy use and emissions—especially when scaled by millions of users.
Now imagine:
- If 10% of people disabled autoplay worldwide, that could prevent millions of hours of involuntary streaming every day, and reduce a significant chunk of the emissions associated with digital infrastructure.
For the planet, attention, and mental health, this is rare: one action, multiple gains.
How to Do It (Takes 2 Minutes)
1. Start with the platforms you use the most
- YouTube: Settings → Autoplay → Turn off
- Netflix: Profile & Parental Controls → Playback → Disable autoplay
- Instagram/TikTok: Settings → Data Saver options → Turn off autoplay
You only need to do this once per platform.
2. Make it a default rule
“If an app autoplays, I turn it off the first time I see it.”
3. Optional: extend the habit
- Disable notifications from streaming apps
- Move entertainment apps off the home screen
- Set time limits for the apps you binge in
Why This Supports SDG 12 & SDG 13
SDG 13: Climate Action
Streaming + digital data use fuels demand for electricity and computing power. Reducing unnecessary consumption helps fight climate change because:
- Data infrastructure runs continuously
- Less consumption = lower energy demand = fewer emissions
This micro-habit cuts waste where it commonly happens: passive streaming.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption
SDG 12 encourages more thoughtful, intentional, and sustainable consumption.
Turning off autoplay:
- Reduces digital waste
- Cuts excess consumption without effort
- Helps people re-evaluate tech habits in a way aligned with sustainability
It’s essentially consuming less—by default.
Bottom Line
Turning off autoplay is a small act that influences a huge global system.
It’s one-time, quick, free, and effortless.
And every time you don’t accidentally watch that next video, you are:
- reducing digital energy consumption,
- lowering emissions,
- and taking a stand for mindful, responsible digital use.
Next time you open your favorite platform, do this small action:
Turn off autoplay once and let that choice save energy for years.
