STOP SCROLLING! Your TikTok usage is polluting the planet

TikTok
(Image credit: Getty)

You might think that posting videos and scrolling on TikTok (or other social media platforms) is completely harmless, but you’ll be shocked at how polluting it is for the planet. It’s estimated that the average person produces 24 tons of CO₂ emissions by sharing, liking and scrolling through photos and videos – which is equivalent to flying from New York to London 26 times.

Frequent flyers have a bad rep for creating a lot of CO₂ emissions but, if you’re a travel photographer or a documentary filmmaker, it’s an unavoidable part of the job. While many of us use social media for business purposes, a large portion of people mindlessly scroll through TikTok or Instagram just to pass the time – completely unaware of the devastating effects it’s having.

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Hannah Rooke
Freelance contributor

Having studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of the West of England Hannah developed a love for photography through a module on photojournalism. She specializes in Portrait, Fashion and lifestyle photography but has more recently branched out in the world of stylized product photography. Hannah spent three years working at Wex Photo Video as a Senior Sales Assistant, using her experience and knowledge of cameras to help people buy the equipment that is right for them. With eight years experience working with studio lighting, Hannah has run many successful workshops teaching people how to use different lighting setups.

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