The Riddle of Technology and Social Education

Heroic stories, legends, and myths have existed, and indeed exist to this very day, in diverse civilisations and within multitudes of cultures. These heroic stories, hereafter referred to as myths, are historically important. People have used the basic elements of myth to structure social interactions, to model civic expectations, and to provide cultural unity. A key element within such myths has been the riddle. For millennia riddles have provided a creative mechanism in which to entertain, while at the same time, and perhaps more importantly, to educate. While numerous myths regarding education currently exist, and vary tremendously from one culture to another, in many ways, regardless of geography or society, very real riddles that transcend culture lie before educators of the very young, particularly social educators of the very young. The purpose of this article is to question, and begin to consider, the role technology should play within social education. To what extent should technology be incorporated within social education? Is technology a neutral concept, in and of itself, or does technology, by its very nature, so impact any society and educational process that it inherently influences social constructs? This article seeks to examine the riddle of technology and social education.