Author Archives: Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed

I am an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. I direct the Third Space research group at the DGP Lab.

Digital Colonialism as “Progress”: What Will Convince You to Swap Your Guitar for an iPad?

​“I don’t think I could ever be convinced to use an iPad as a replacement,” said Elisabeth Dorion , a songwriter, composer, and musician based in Toronto, in response to Apple’s ‘Crush’ advertisement (Dorion 2025). Elisabeth’s reflection on the physical pain of seeing pianos, sacred tools of artistry, smashed into oblivion in Apple’s flashy tech advert was a raw gut-punch: ​​​“It hurts me physically to see these things being crushed.” (read more...)