Silicon afterlife

This study examines the environmental and security implications of digital data after its expiration, also known as the "digital coffin crisis." Unmanaged digital remnants, including credentials and forgotten files, contribute to the continued energy consumption of servers and increase the risk of unauthorized data misuse. While previous studies have largely focused on the macroeconomics of servers, this paper offers a new empirical perspective by uncovering the "awareness paradox." Through fieldwork in primary and secondary schools, it reveals a sharp generational gap: young people generate the largest amounts of data yet possess the lowest level of legal awareness regarding the permanence of digital data. The findings point to an urgent need for automated digital decarbonization and a structured minimum in personal data management. The study concludes that managing digital footprints after data expiration is an indispensable component of environmental sustainability and digital ethics, offering a holistic, humanistic, environmental, and legal perspective that connects individual behavior to global servers through interdisciplinarity