Throughout the history of educational technology, a majority of scholars emphasized the possibilities of technology; however, several scholars emerged as contrarians and technology Cassandras. For example, Postman (1993/2011), McLuhan and Fiore (1967), and Turkle (1984) cautioned that technologies created new environments, fundamentally altering individuals and society. Cuban (2009) famously critiqued technologies as “oversold and underused,” while Feenberg (1991) argued that technologies increase inequality and threaten democracy if society fails to democratize the use of technologies. Watters (2020) scrutinized educational technology’s historical (and failed) attempts to “personalize” education. Selwyn (2016) reminded the field to explore technologies as socially embedded and to take a broader and, often, a more global, perspective to consider the potential harms of technologies.
This quote stands out because it presents a more critical lens on educational technology, one that challenges the common belief that more tech always means better learning. Cuban’s phrase “oversold and underused” reflects the reality that many tools don’t live up to their promises in the classroom. Feenberg’s warning about inequality and democracy highlights the broader social impact of tech use. As a future teacher, this pushes me to think more deeply about why I use certain technologies, not just how. It’s a reminder that I need to be thoughtful, inclusive, and critical in my approach to ed tech.