Saving the environment from the internet: A polynomial mitigation model of reducing Individual Internet Consumption through Internet Pricing and Environmental Awareness

Abstract

The ever-increasing internet usage purports to make substantial damage to the environment as a result of the emissions arising from the internet supporting infrastructures like data centers. However, there has been much less discussion on creating an awareness of the damage that the internet does to the environment. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the internet use can be reduced at the individual level by calibrating internet price and one’s environmental awareness. The study employs a population-based survey experiment and conducts a polynomial regression analysis using a sample of 326 individuals to understand the conjoined relationship between internet price and environmental awareness. The results indicate that internet price affordability moderated the relationship between environmental awareness and internet usage. Although, before inducing awareness, pricing plays a major role in changing consumption, after inducing awareness the significance of pricing decreases, and awareness tends to determine the consumption. Moreover, the multi-group analysis infers that age does not show any significance on price affordability and environmental awareness, although males display a high price sensitivity and responsiveness towards awareness than their female counterparts.