Analysis of student engagement with technology has mainly focused on physical and mental health, predominantly overlooking deeper philosophical issues. Through the analysis of four focus groups (children aged 12–14, n = 13) using Heidegger’s The Question Concerning Technology (1977), this study expands existing research by providing empirical insight into children’s relationships with nature, others, and themselves. Framed by the question, “Do computers make the world a better place?”, student responses were revisited after philosophical group discussion. Initially optimistic, students became more neutral after reflecting on how technology mediates their relationships with nature and human beings. From the content of the discussions, we observed that half of the groups’ position towards nature aligned with Heidegger’s concept of ‘enframing’ (Ge-stell), defining the world and all its objects as mere resources to their designed ends. Analysis of children’s relationships with others and themselves indicate that they would agree with Heidegger’s philosophy that it is not the right way of perceiving the world, with technology not being helpful or even hindering building authentic relationships with people and themselves. In response, we suggest that teaching philosophy of technology and encouraging engagement with art and critical lenses can help children develop an understanding of being beyond technology, fostering deeper relationships with themselves, others, and nature. Whilst small in scale, this study contributes to ongoing debates in the philosophy of technology by offering empirical evidence of how children’s technological environments shape their ontological self-understanding—an area that remains underexplored in both philosophical and educational research.
