Lately, I’ve been thinking about something that pricks at my conscience—the hidden costs behind the things we do, even in moments that seem harmless. This thinking came about after I read an article in Forbes that said that AI is depleting the world’s scarcest natural resource, which is water. This is due to water being needed to cool the cooling systems to dissipate heat in data centers. And it’s not just AI; it’s the entire digital ecosystem. Every time we scroll through social media, stream videos, send emails, or even update this blog, data centers are working in the background, consuming energy, and using water for cooling. It feels harmless, but in reality, it’s not.
It’s strange, isn’t it? The idea that even our most intangible connections have a footprint.
At first, it disturbed me. I feel a lingering sense of guilt knowing that something as simple as writing, chatting, or even creating art online comes with a hidden cost. But then the more I reflect on it, the more I realize how much of life is built on similar contradictions. Take fast fashion, for example. It’s cheap, chic, and readily accessible almost everywhere, but at what cost? Somewhere in the world, cheap labor is working behind the scenes. Another example: plastic. Our modern life can’t survive without plastic. It’s so convenient to wrap our food and make life easier, but it ends up polluting our oceans, landfills, and eventually our bodies with microplastics that destroy our health.
We live in this web of contradictions where convenience often comes at an unseen price. And the hardest part is we can’t always escape it. Does it make us hypocrites? Maybe. Or maybe it just makes us humans who are stuck in a system we didn’t fully choose but still need every day.
But here’s where I found a sense of peace in all this. I can’t avoid all harm because, let’s face it, that’s almost impossible. But I can balance it. How? I’m not speaking for anyone else but myself. I can write and make art online with deeper purpose because knowing that even if it uses energy and resources, I can leave something meaningful behind. Words that comfort, art that connects, ideas that make someone feel seen. That’s how you and I can give back.
I think about my poetry art, my drawings, and how they carry pieces of my Iban heritage. If they can spark reflection or connection, then maybe they’ve earned their place.
I can choose to create with intention. If what I write and what I draw can offer someone a sense of understanding, comfort, or even just a moment of reflection, then maybe the cost feels more balanced. It’s like planting something in overused soil and hoping it takes root.
So yes, my writing on this blog or wherever I exist online, they do take something from the world. But I can use them for good and give something back. And that’s the kind of balance I want to aim for.
What about you? Have you ever thought about the hidden costs behind the things you do online or consume? And how do you find peace with it?
The handwritten draft of this post, the book I currently read, and a cup of cool tea.
Olivia's Atelier 