The article discusses the efforts of the nonprofit 7×24 Exchange International to promote data centers as crucial infrastructure. They created a children’s story, “What is a Data Center?”, featuring a honey badger named Honey who learns about data centers from a character named Oliver. This story serves to introduce kids to the industry amidst growing criticism of the data centers’ environmental impact.
The piece notes broader strategies by the data center industry, including lobbying, job creation programs, and tax incentives, aimed at improving their public image, especially among the youth. This aligns with tactics used by other industries facing scrutiny, such as fast food and tobacco, to promote their narratives in schools. For instance, the Potomac chapter of the Association for Computer Operations Management recently distributed Memorial Day-themed flag-making kits alongside information on the positive economic impacts of data centers to first graders in Loudoun County, Virginia.
