Tech is Making Us More Efficient — So Why Are We Consuming More?

A simple tweet from Satya Nadella led me down a rabbit hole into the Jevons Paradox—a concept that reveals a strange truth: when technology makes resource use more efficient, we don’t consume less; we actually consume more. This paradox has puzzled some of the brightest minds for over 150 years, yet its impact on our digital world is more relevant than ever. AI, cloud storage, and automation have made our tools smarter and leaner, yet we find ourselves generating more data, using more resources, and becoming even more dependent on these technologies.

But is this necessarily a bad thing? Increased consumption fuels innovation, creates jobs, and drives economic growth. However, it also raises tough questions about sustainability and the unintended consequences of progress. Understanding the Jevons Paradox forces us to think beyond efficiency and consider how society responds to technological change.

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