Bethany Edmunds - Technology - The Great Equalizer

Ep 235

Guest:  Bethany Edmunds

Headline:  Technology: The Great Equalizer

 

We hear about technology all the time to the point where the focus has shifted from good for us to bad. Tech, both loved and feared: is it taking over our lives? It has reams of data on us, it knows our habits and predicts what we want to buy or do next.

 

We’re asking ourselves: are we slaves to our devices? Search the topic, “Has Technology Ruined Our Lives?” and you’ll be bombarded with search page after search page connecting you to articles, videos and talks all telling you that technology has robbed us of the joy of life.

 

Not so fast, says Bethany Edmunds, a computing sciences instructor, who says technology has changed the lives of all of us for the better and even more so for the disenfranchised. Technology, she points out, is the great equalizer – first in its ability to navigate life for everyone and especially for those with challenges. At the same time it has also taken away physical barriers to jobs and careers.

 

We invited Bethany Edmunds to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how technology is accessible coupled with a path tech careers for non-nerds – a path she says is within our reach.

 

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs