Cultural and environmental issues

OCR J277 Paper 1 typically asks 4–6 mark "discuss" or "explain" questions on the wider impact of computing. You need to give specific examples and link them to social, cultural or environmental consequences.

Environmental impact

Energy use

• Data centres consume vast amounts of electricity to run servers and cool them. Estimates put global data-centre electricity use at 1–2% of all electricity, comparable to a medium-sized country.
• AI training and cryptocurrency mining have pushed demand higher.
• Mitigation — renewable-powered data centres, efficient cooling (free-air, sea-water), virtualisation to consolidate workloads.

Manufacture

• Mining the rare-earth metals (lithium, cobalt, tantalum) used in devices damages local ecosystems and often involves poor labour conditions.
• Manufacturing a smartphone produces around 50–80 kg of CO₂, much of it before the phone is even sold.

E-waste and disposal

• Discarded electronics ("e-waste") contain toxic substances — lead, mercury, cadmium — that leach into soil and water if landfilled.
• The UN reports tens of millions of tonnes of e-waste produced globally each year, the majority not recycled.
• Many devices end up in low-income countries where they are dismantled informally, exposing workers to toxins.

Circular economy and recycling

• Design for repair (replaceable batteries, modular components) extends device life.
• Refurbishment and resale keep working devices in use.
• Proper recycling recovers metals (gold, copper) and reduces the need for new mining.
• WEEE Directive (UK / EU) requires manufacturers and retailers to provide recycling routes.

Cultural impact

• Digital divide — those without reliable internet or affordable devices are excluded from education, banking and government services.
• Social media changes how people communicate, organise politically and form identity — both positive (community, activism) and negative (misinformation, mental-health effects).
• Automation and employment — some jobs disappear, new ones emerge; transition can be disruptive for affected workers and regions.
• Surveillance and privacy — pervasive data collection by states and corporations raises concerns about civil liberties.
• Globalisation — cheap, instant communication accelerates cultural exchange but also threatens minority languages and traditions.

Common OCR exam mistakes

• Generic "computers cause pollution" without a specific mechanism. Be precise — mining, manufacturing emissions, data-centre electricity, e-waste leachate.
• Listing only environmental impacts when the question says "cultural and environmental" — answer both.
• Saying recycling is "always good" — it must be done properly; informal recycling in low-income countries has its own harms.