Clean Energy Overtakes Coal and How Japan is Tackling Smartphone Addiction

Explore four critical contemporary issues shaping our digital and energy landscape in this 13-minute video from the World Economic Forum. Discover how Japan is addressing the growing smartphone addiction crisis, where high school students spend an average of 6 hours daily online, leading to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders, and learn about the innovative steps the country is implementing to combat this public health challenge. Examine the historic milestone in global energy production as renewable sources surpassed coal for electricity generation in the first half of 2025, despite growing global electricity demand, driven by a significant surge in new solar and wind capacity installations. Understand the cybercrime reporting gap, where only 15% of cybercrimes reach law enforcement according to FBI data, leaving authorities blind to evolving digital threats, and hear insights from Interpol Cybercrime Director Neil Jetton on how increased reporting can protect future victims. Investigate the ethical implications of large language model training, as Creative Commons CEO Anna Tumadóttir discusses the lack of reciprocity between tech companies that harvest content from the open internet for monetization while potentially disincentivizing creators and writers from sharing their work openly, highlighting the growing tension between AI development and content creator rights.

Syllabus

00:14:20 - Smartphone addiction is on the rise around the world. It brings with it a range of health risks, from depression and anxiety to sleeplessness. In Japan, the average high school student spends 6 hours a day online - more than any other age group. Now the country is taking steps to tackle smartphone addiction. Here’s how.
02:20:19 - The planet has achieved a historic first as, in the first half of 2025, renewables produced more electricity than coal. Global electricity demand actually grew in that time - but a surge in new solar and wind capacity more than covered the increase.
04:24:13 - Only 15% of cybercrimes are ever reported, according to the FBI — leaving law enforcement blind to evolving threats. Reporting also helps protect future victims, says Interpol Cybercrime Director Neil Jetton.
09:16:21 - Large language models are trained on huge volumes of text, much of it lifted from the searchable internet. But there is a lack of reciprocity here, argues the CEO of Creative Commons, Anna Tumadóttir. She says that tech companies are taking what they need and monetizing the results – and this imbalance is disincentivizing writers and creators from sharing their work openly.