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The Critical Technology podcast (2020-2023) explored cutting edge research on the social, cultural, and political implications of new technological developments. Each episodes features an interview with a leading scholar of technology about one (or more) of their most recent publications. Initially launched as a COVID-19 pivot and funded by the Knowledge Media Design Institute (KMDI) at the University of Toronto, the podcast was produced, edited and hosted by Dr. Sara Grimes, with massive help and creative contributions from several outstanding UofT students and alumni (see credits for details). Critical Technology was nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award in the Best Technology Series category in 2023 (finalist, but not awarded), and was accepted into the Amplify Podcast Network’s Sustain Stream inaugural cohort in 2023-2024. Read the open access "postmortem" report about Critical Technology and the process of creating a podcast for academic knowledge mobilization here: https://utoronto.scholaris.ca/items/3e6d7ce3-d5ae-4c3e-a302-4ca3b52d85d4
13 Episodes
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Originally aired on April 11, 2022: Although computing technologies are now ubiquitous in much of the West and other parts of the world, there are still significant inequalities when it comes to who has access to computer science education. Powerful cultural stereotypes about who is or can become a coder persist, leading to the underrepresentation of girls and children of colour from a crucial form of digital literacy. In this episode, Dr. Sara Grimes chats with Dr. Deborah Fields, Asso...
How, where, and what kids and teens learn about safe sex, substance use, and other health-related topics is incredibly important. Especially for young people who are already dealing with higher risk factors, such as neighbourhood poverty and violence--a disproportionate number of whom are young people of colour, specifically Black, Latinx or Indigenous youth. In this episode, Dr. Sara M. Grimes chats with Dr. Robin Stevens, Associate Professor at University of Southern California ...
Originally aired on February 14, 2022: As smart toys, virtual assistants, and machine learning apps spread across our homes and schools, an increasing number of children are now living, learning, and growing up around artificial intelligence or “AI”. Yet, we still know very little about children’s relationship with AI, how they feel about the seemingly knowledgeable voices coming out of their electronic devices, or how AI responds to children’s feelings. In this episode, Dr. Sara Grimes chats...
We all know that the global data economy relies on the ongoing collection, exchange and use of massive amounts of our data – from personal information, to what we do online, to algorithmic forecasts about what we might to do in the future. But what about children’s data? Although there are special laws in place to protect children’s privacy in many regions around the world, huge amounts of their data are still being collected by a growing of devices and applications. In this episode, Dr. Sara...
There is incredible diversity in children’s relationships with digital technologies, which introduce a range of opportunities and challenges for their rights, learning, and wellbeing. Kids on the spectrum, however, must also contend with popular stereotypes and misinformation about autism and technology, which impact them in complex ways. In this episode, Dr. Sara Grimes chats with Dr. Meryl Alper, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern University Lab, ...
Digital gaming is a vital source of fun, relaxation, learning and social connection for kids and adults alike. But people don’t always “play nice” and games can also become the sites of interpersonal conflict, trolling, and seriously harmful behaviours. In this episode, Dr. Sara Grimes chats with Dr. Kelly Boudreau, a professor at the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, about her fascinating and timely research on problematic and toxic gameplay; the roles of these practices withi...
From sourdough starters and "covid gardens," to homemade face masks and Sea Shanty TikToks, the pandemic has inspired a boom in crafting, making, artistic expression, and everyday creativity. In this episode, Dr. Sara Grimes (Director of the KMDI) chats with Dr. David Gauntlett, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Creativity in the School of Creative Industries at Ryerson University (Toronto, ON) and founder of the Creativity Everything Lab, about his research on the creative process, the ...
Digital gaming is a vital source of fun, relaxation, learning and social connection for kids and adults alike. But people don’t always “play nice” and games can also become the sites of interpersonal conflict, trolling, and seriously harmful behaviours. In this episode, Dr. Sara Grimes (Director of the KMDI) chats with Dr. Kelly Boudreau, a professor at the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, about her fascinating and timely research on problematic and toxic gameplay; the roles o...
In his critically acclaimed new book, Distributed Blackness: African American Cybercultures (2020, New York University Press), Dr. Andre Brock Jr, professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, positions Blackness at the very centre of Internet culture. In so doing, Brock uncovers the complex ways that race and racism, but also joy and humour, have always shaped how digital technologies are designed, used, depicted, and envisioned. In this episode, Sara chats with Dr. Brock about his impor...
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) across our devices, information systems, and built environments is reshaping the design and function of the technologies that surround us. From AI-generated designer chairs to smart cities, this shift introduces a range of new relationships, possibilities, and risks into our lives. In this episode, Sara chats with Dr. Beth Coleman, a professor at the University of Toronto and the lead investigator of the City as Platform project: an interdiscipl...
Educational technologies and online learning have received a lot of attention lately, as schools worldwide shifted to remote delivery. But for children and youth in refugee camps, access to education has long been embedded in digital technologies, presenting unique opportunities, and big challenges, for teaching and learning. In this episode, Dr. Sara Grimes (Director of the KMDI) chats with Dr. Negin Dahya, a professor at the University of Toronto, and the lead investigator on the Port...
As the media and cultural industries have shifted to digital platforms (like Facebook, Apple, and Amazon), massive changes in how cultural content is made, distributed, and consumed have unfolded. In this episode, Dr. Sara Grimes (Director of the KMDI) chats with Dr. David Nieborg, a professor at the University of Toronto, and one of the lead investigators on the Platforms and Cultural Production project: a multi-year, international research initiative that examines how the rise and spread of...
A new series from the Knowledge Media Design Institute (KMDI) and Director/Professor Sara Grimes, featuring interviews with Prof. David Nieborg, Prof. Negin Dahya, Prof. Beth Coleman and other experts on the intersections of digital technology and society. Premieres Fall 2020.
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