Qisasna Tech Talk Podcast

In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the technology gaps in Yemen and the United States. They highlight the importance of the internet in daily life and how it affects education, communication, and work. In the US, there are disparities in internet access, with rural areas being less connected. The cost of devices and subscriptions can also be a barrier for some Americans. However, efforts are being made to provide free access in libraries and schools. In Yemen, internet and technology access is limited and expensive. Some cafes offer computers for rent, but most students lack internet access. People rely on WhatsApp for business and socializing. The hosts also share their personal experiences with technology and discuss the challenges and benefits it brings. Hi, welcome to our podcast. Today you're listening to Tech Talk, exploring technology gaps in Yemen and the U.S. I'm your co-host, Anna. And I'm your co-host, Abdullah. Today, we will be comparing and contrasting the technology gaps within America and Yemen and the broader gap between them as well. This isn't a story of gadgets, gizmos, and global connections. It's about how these differences shape daily lives, opportunities, and innovation for millions of people. There's no doubt that the Internet has become a crucial aspect to everyday life, no matter where you are in the world. But to even listen to this input, some thought technology was used. It's even important to note that some countries have made Internet access a human right, such as Finland and Estonia. Technology and Internet play a large role in our day-to-day lives, including education, shopping, communicating with your friends and family, and working. You can even call it digital infrastructure because of its integration into daily life. There's no getting around it. It is just an escapable and an important part of our reality. Millions of people use technology in formal capacity every single day. Despite this, technology gaps exist in America and Yemen on a vast scale. Certain areas in America are much more advanced than others, while the gap between Yemen and America is even larger. Today, my American friends, my Yemeni friends, and I will begin our discussions on the context of American and Yemeni technology gaps, followed by some of our experiences as students. And now we are going to dive right in with the technology gaps in the United States of America. So there is a very common misconception or a stereotype that Americans are extremely tech-savvy, that every person in the United States of America has all of the up-to-date technology. We have smart everything, iPhones, and things like that. While that might be true for some people, that isn't true for a lot of people in the United States. As around a million Americans do not have access to stable Wi-Fi, which is a Wi-Fi signal every day. And even when they do, it's very limited and not always the best quality. Most cities do have stable Wi-Fi access and better availability when it comes to these products. But a lot of rural areas do not. So, for example, in a lot of the southern United States, it is a lot of farmland, which means it doesn't necessarily have, you know, Wi-Fi or an Internet connection, which makes it really hard for these people to get Internet regularly since it's not in their home or not in their place of work. And then on top of that, you know, they might not be able to go and buy these products because the store might not be nearby. There's also a park that's the Appalachian region, and that place is considered a technology desert, meaning they don't have any technology almost at all. So, like, they don't have electronic cooking appliances. They might not have, like, people who are also living in less privileged areas or lower socioeconomic classes. So, like, those people impoverished are also less likely to be able to have access to these products. On top of this, most people have to pay for Wi-Fi, so they have to buy a subscription from a company that allows them to have access to a certain amount of gigabytes each month. And so it depends on what devices you're using to access this Wi-Fi, how many people in your family are doing it, where you live, and a lot more factors can go into how much you pay each month, and that can be expensive. And additionally, you must pay for your devices unless they're given as gifts. And technology can be very expensive, as you're not only buying something like a smartphone or a laptop, which can be $1,000. You're also buying the cases for it, the protection for it, any chargers, and also if you have to get the device fixed. And this can be out of the budget for a lot of Americans. However, the government is trying to help people have better access to technology. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of places have made Wi-Fi and computers that people are able to use for free. So, like, libraries have computers and printers and fax machines people can use if they do not have them in their houses. Schools also have a lot of free technology people can use instead of college campuses. However, older people might not be familiar with the places they can go get help, and then they're also not familiar with touchscreen and smart devices. So, this might make it harder for them to use these things or take advantage of programs that require them to use them. On top of this, different device brands can determine what people can access on the Internet. So, they might want people to use a certain browser or specific app that they make, and this might make it harder for people to have as much access as other people. And now, I will hand it off to Abdullah to talk about the technology gap in Yemen. Well, here in Yemen, it's not common for people to have access to Internet and technology. You have to pay for every single byte of Internet. And technology is too pricey. Most people pay for low-quality phones, and also many areas don't have the stability for Wi-Fi as foreign land and rural places. So, you will be so unlucky if you make a clear phone call. Some cafes here offer computers for rent by hour, or to search by, or play, or even download software MOPs. Technology would be super beneficial for students to get information easier, but in Yemen, most students don't have any Internet access. Loss of misinformation breeds between citizens as gossip, and they couldn't find good sources to make sure. People in Yemen use WhatsApp rather than any software to make business, and they found a way to cope with situations. Lack of Internet lets people keep visiting each other more than once a week and gathering with friends. Also, people focus on working and studying more. The mobile providers are on improvement. It's one of the most common to use mobile data here in Yemen to serve the Internet. We finally have the 4G last two years. Time by time, we could find around 7 out of 10 people who have Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and the beloved one here, still WhatsApp. The lack of Internet and technology prevents to live easily, prevents working online, or keeping in touch with people out of Yemen mostly. Thank you for that, Abdullah. And now, I will talk about the average student experience in the United States. So, as you all know, my name is Anna, and I am from central Virginia, but I am currently in northern Virginia for college. And for American culture around technology, it's not hard to see that technology has become the center of everyday life. Like, we can pay with our phones. We buy things with our phones. Texting is the number one way I talk to my family and friends. I check my emails multiple times a day. I do assignments through Blackboard and Canvas. Technology is everywhere, and it's crucial to everyday American life. I would say, personally, when it comes to a typical relationship with technology, that I have a slightly atypical relationship with it. There are some aspects of it that I choose to use and utilize more than others. Like, for example, my job that I do on campus, it requires me to catalog things and put them into a database, which uses a lot of technology. But, however, I prefer to read paper books rather than an audio book. I also love to use electronic devices like air fryers and a nice espresso machine, but I don't trust home devices like, you know, Alexa or things like that. So, honestly, I'd say I prefer to do some things on the grid and some things off the grid. I also believe I am more skeptical about artificial technology and artificial intelligence. I meant artificial intelligence. So, I'm more skeptical of artificial intelligence than the average person my age. I am very careful about what I choose to tell ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot or anything else because I don't know how that will end up going around in the future. I think the most popular devices for Americans to get on the Internet are Apple and Android products. So, like an iPhone, a laptop, MacBooks are very popular. And technology gaps has definitely impacted my life. When I was younger and I lived in Central Virginia, I still do live on a farm when I go back home. And especially in my early elementary school and middle school age, I did not have constant access to technology or the Internet. I lived in a very rural area that did not have an Internet connection. There were some places in my hometown that had Wi-Fi, but it wasn't always stable and it wasn't the best quality. I also lived in an older house that did not have the most advanced utilities. Also, since my family was not that familiar with technology, it was harder for me to learn how to use it. However, as, you know, the times have changed and Internet has become more and more ingrained, my hometown has gotten better quality Internet and Wi-Fi. There is now Wi-Fi at my house. And as I've gone to college, I have more constant access to the Internet. Right now, the United States has been working to make technology more trustful and usable for all the citizens. It's a very important part of public school, private school, that all these students have plenty of access to Internet for their assignments, that we have really good quality technology for health care and cooking and things like that. And they're working really hard to implement these things in places, especially after COVID, like you said before. However, as technology, more and more of it is created, it is hard for Americans to keep up. Devices are getting more and more expensive. They need special equipment. And there's lots of upkeep with this. And then, obviously, when censorship and misinformation is making the technology gap worse and filling in these cracks with inaccurate data, for someone that doesn't have constant access to the Internet, misinformation can be even more damaging. So now I will hand it over to Ruan. So now we are with OSU Nation Online. Hello, Ruan. How are you? I'm fine, thank you so much. Thank you so much. Please, Ruan, would you mind introducing yourself so we can support the audience? I'm an English teacher. I am Ruan Salamahi. I am an English teacher. I live in Bukidno, southern Yemen. So, Ruan, can you describe the Yemeni culture around technology? Well, in Yemen, most poor people can't use full-time Internet. There is not any internet. They don't treat with this word at all. You should make a network in your house far away from any connection, which is the same as many houses here. Almost to have any connection, you should pay for it. Okay, Ruan. So I have another question. Do you have a typical relationship with technology? Yeah, I kind of grew up using computers and software, not in Yemen. Actually, I came here seven years ago and got a technoshop. Because when you rely on technology on everything you do, studying, cooking, organizing your time, and also getting funds, that would be so hard to get through. However, the last three years, with the progress we have here, I've been good at using Internet only and rely on the other things to live my life without laziness. Technology has benefits, too, but I also believe it causes laziness, too. Thank you, Ruan, for your time. And now we are with this student, Abdullah. Abdullah, how are you? I'm fine. So, Abdullah, we are welcoming you here, and we are so glad to have you with us. Now, would you mind introducing yourself to tell the people who listen to you about some basic information about you? Okay, I'm Abdullah El-Haddadi. I graduated from high school this year, so I'm going to get here now. And I live in L.A. city in Yemen. Great, Abdullah. So, do you have a typical relationship with technology? Actually, no. My relationship with technology is different. More Internet, power cuts, and cultural habits make it unique. Many students use technology for learning and fun, but this depends on their income and where they live. Okay, Abdullah. So, can you describe the Yemeni culture around technology? Well, Yemeni culture has mixed views on technology. Young people, special entities, use technology a lot, like social media. But traditional values and boring Internet and rural areas make it hard to use. Yeah, you're right, by the way. So, in Yemen, what kind of devices are popular for people to use in order to get on the Internet? I think smartphones are the most common way to use the Internet in Yemen, because they are cheaper and easy to use. Tablets and laptops are less common because they cost more. Okay, great. How does the technology get impact or has impact your life? Oh, actually, the lack of technology affects my life a lot. It makes studying harder, limits learning, and reduces chances to connect with others. It can also make you feel lonely and cut off from the world. Okay. Is your country doing anything to fix the technology gap or is it getting worse, in your opinion? What do you think about this? Well, to be honest, given a problem like war and unstable politics, several improvements are being made to improve Internet and tech education. But progress is slow. Things might get better if the country becomes more stable and gets more investment. Great, Abdullah, and thank you for your time. Thank you a lot. I appreciate it. Hello, everyone. My name is Faiza. I live in Northern Virginia, and I'm a barista at a Yemeni coffee shop here called Omayoun. I have an interest in coffee and want to connect to the technology gaps regarding coffee making. We know that all over the world, coffee and tea are consumed by billions of people every day. Here, it is common for people to have coffee makers or special machines in their homes. However, after conversing with our Yemeni friends for a while in Yemen, I learned that many cafes have special machines, and people at home make coffee and tea the traditional way by boiling over the stove. In my house, personally, we make traditional tea by boiling over the stove as well. But for coffee, I use an espresso machine. And yes, my favorite beans are actually special Yemen. As I highlighted my own American student experience, as well as listening to the Yemeni student experiences, I see how an everyday commodity like coffee, all the way to important aspects of life, such as our communication, social lives, education, work, etc., are affected by these technological gaps. Whether you are from the United States or Yemen, there are still complicated issues surrounding the technology gap within both countries. We learned today about the American and Yemeni technology gaps, along with the average student experiences with technology. Addressing these gaps is another obstacle to tackle, as many of these problems are caused by political and economic disparities. We hope to see a brighter future of closing the gaps within and between these countries, and to promote a general welfare and accessibility to technology. We know that technology translates to convenience and progressiveness in certain aspects, and it's important for everyone around the world to have these opportunities. Thanks for tuning in to TikTok Exploring Technology Gaps in Yemen and the U.S. We hope that you enjoyed our beneficial discussion. Thank you for your time.