The New PR Playbook
Ever wonder why data centers are suddenly obsessed with your little cousin’s homework? It is not just about cloud storage anymore; it is about rebranding. As communities push back against the massive, heat-generating server farms popping up in their backyards, the data center industry is borrowing a page from the fossil fuel and tobacco industries: getting into the schools to tell their side of the story.
Nonprofits like 7x24 Exchange International are pushing children’s books featuring characters like a honey badger named Honey, who takes a tour of a data center to learn about "mission critical" infrastructure. They are also promoting "International Data Center Day" to schools, offering everything from crossword puzzles for high schoolers to "draw a data superhero" sheets for elementary students.
The Field Trip Reality Check
It is not just coloring books. Industry groups and companies like Sabey are hosting actual field trips to these facilities. In one bizarre instance, the Manson School District posted a photo of a student trip that was clearly AI-generated, featuring people with missing limbs.
Research professor Alex Molnar of the University of Colorado Boulder calls this a classic case of corporate propaganda. "Why would a third grader be interested in a data center?" he asks. He points out the irony: most data centers are just rows of noisy servers that generate massive heat and employ very few people. It is essentially the least exciting field trip imaginable.
Why it matters
Real talk: this is a strategic move to secure a "social license to operate." With a recent Pew Research poll showing half of Americans view data centers as bad for the environment and local quality of life, the industry needs to soften its image. By embedding themselves in schools, they are hoping to influence the next generation before they start asking tough questions about power consumption and environmental impact. As Molnar puts it, kids are in a "powerless position" to critically assess this kind of messaging, making them a prime target for corporate storytelling.
