IdleForest models one hour of Twitter / X use at about 36g of CO2.
Refreshing your feed on X (formerly Twitter) triggers cloud databases and content delivery networks to serve media-heavy timelines instantly.
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Uncertainty note: Social-media footprints vary with media density, autoplay behavior, device, and the amount of video in the feed.
*IdleForest offsets ~200kg CO2/year on average per user.
Estimate review
Reviewed by: IdleForest Research Team
Role: Editorial Review
Organization: IdleForest
Last reviewed: April 24, 2026
These estimates are meant to help compare digital habits. They are directional, not exact reproductions of proprietary vendor accounting.
Peer-reviewed life-cycle assessment covering web use, social media, video, music streaming, and video conferencing.
Useful benchmark for streaming emissions and the role of the viewing device.
Scrolling for an hour generates about 36g of CO2, depending on the volume of videos and images in your feed.
Browse the main carbon footprint guide and jump to the pages that best match your digital habits.
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ChatGPT's carbon footprint comes from every request, response, and supporting system behind the model. If you're asking how much CO2 ChatGPT produces, the answer depends on model size, response length, and how often you use it.
Every photo, Reel, and Story on Instagram requires server storage and global network transmission, contributing to your personal digital footprint.
TikTok's footprint comes from video delivery, device energy use, and the time people spend scrolling through high-definition short-form video.
IdleForest is a passive browser extension that plants trees while you browse, game, or stream. It uses your unused internet bandwidth to fund reforestation projects.
✓Free to use
✓No account required
✓Open source