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Cited by 164Digital Education and SocietyEducational Technology in LearningDigital Media and Philosophy

Digital degrowth: toward radically sustainable education technology

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Selwyn, Neil·2024·Learning, Media and Technology
DOI 10.1080/17439884.2022.2159978
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Abstract

This paper outlines how ideas of ‘degrowth’ might be used to reimagine sustainable forms of education technology. In essence, degrowth calls for a proactive renewal of technology use around goals of voluntary simplicity and slowing-down, community-based coproduction and sharing, alongside conscious minimalization of resource consumption. The paper considers how core degrowth principles of conviviality, commoning, autonomy and care have been used to develop various forms of ‘radically sustainable computing’. The paper then suggests four ways in which degrowth principles might frame future thinking around education technology in terms of: (i) curtailing current manipulative forms of education technology, (ii) bolstering existing convivial forms of education technology; (iii) stimulating the development of new convivial education technologies; and (iv) developing digital technologies to achieve the eventual de-schooling of society. It is concluded that mobilisation of these ideas might support a much-needed reorientation of digital technology in education along low-impact, equitable lines.

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Crossref · 10.1080/17439884.2022.2159978

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  • The rapid pace of adoption of GenAI tools has significantly exacerbated many socio-technical issues researchers have connected to education technologies in general and algorithmic harms related to GenAI more specifically.

    “The rapid pace of adoption of GenAI tools, when it comes to similar concerns, have significantly exacerbated the many socio-technical issues researchers have connected to education technologies in general [160, 311] and algorithmic harms related to GenAI [317] more specifically.”

    From Navigating the Ethical and Societal Impacts of Generative AI in Higher Computing Education (2025) · cites this paper as [311]

  • Proposals that transcend profit-driven imperatives, such as limiting the scale of AI (digital degrowth) or a carbon tax on data center usage, remain on the fringes of the field.

    “Proposals that transcend profit-driven imperatives, such as limiting the scale of AI (so-called 'digital degrowth' [104]) or policy mechanisms such as a carbon tax on data center usage, remain on the fringes of the field.”

    From From Efficiency Gains to Rebound Effects: The Problem of Jevons' Paradox in AI's Polarized Environmental Debate (2025) · cites this paper as [104]

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Authors
Selwyn, N.
Affiliations
Monash University (AU)
Corresponding author
Selwyn, Neil
ORCID
Selwyn, Neil
Venue
Learning, Media and Technology
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2023-01-02
Volume
49
Issue
2
Pages
186-199
ISSN
  • 1743-9884 (ISSN-L)
  • 1743-9892
DOI
10.1080/17439884.2022.2159978
OpenAlex
W4313527780
Cited by
131
References
36
Citations by year
2026: 45 · 2025: 52 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 14
FWCI
30.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Learning Media and Technology (publishedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Monash University (cc-by)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Digital Education and Society
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Educational Technology in Learning
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Science Applications › Digital Media and Philosophy
Keywords
degrowth, educational technology, green computing, conviviality, commoning, autonomy, care, simple living, resource consumption, deschooling, sharing, digital technology in education

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