One Monitor at Work: A Quiet Act of Environmental Heroism

Two computer monitors at work seem to be the new trend. Not just two, but sometimes two of different sizes, shapes, and orientations. Some sit in landscape format. Others stand upright in portrait format. In some offices, it looks like a control room preparing for a space launch. The sky truly appears to be the limit.

The unspoken message is clear. More screens must mean more productivity. Or at the very least, it must look impressive. There is something about multiple glowing rectangles that suggests efficiency, importance, and perhaps a slightly inflated sense of cool.

I have resisted this temptation so far. At work, I may be the only person still using a single monitor. One screen. No extensions. No vertical display. No panoramic digital horizon. And honestly, I am perfectly happy with it.

I get my work done. Emails are answered. Documents are written. Tasks are completed. The absence of a second monitor has not caused any measurable decline in productivity, nor has it resulted in missed deadlines or professional embarrassment. Life goes on.

What makes the situation amusing is the irony around environmental awareness. Many well-meaning environmental activists speak passionately about protecting the planet, reducing waste, and lowering energy consumption. Yet, at work, they often sit behind two monitors, sometimes three, all drawing power and destined one day for electronic waste.

Meanwhile, there I am with my single monitor, quietly consuming less electricity and producing less future waste. No speeches. No slogans. No badges. Just one screen doing its job.

I do not claim moral superiority. I simply find it amusing. Sometimes, real environmental impact does not announce itself. Sometimes, it just sits there quietly, displaying one window at a time.