Our relationship with technology is always fraught. Each new social media platform gives us more ways to connect with people we know–and people we don’t–from all over the world. But each new development also provokes fear of increasing isolation and alienation.
There have been many articles voicing concerns that technology makes us less social and less aware of one another’s humanity (e.g. here or here). But technology can be a powerful empathy-building tool, as well, giving us access to other people’s experiences in new and more immersive ways. Here are three different examples of how technologies can be used to promote empathy and widen our horizons.
- 1. Virtual Reality: Bodyswapping to reduce racial bias
- 2. Exoskeleton: Instant aging
- 3. The Homeless GoPro Project
by Caitlin Kossmann
