Watching Back: a list for kids who care about technology and freedom

By Cory Doctorow at 9:24 am Monday, Nov 17

Smári McCarthy, a high-school teacher in Iceland, has been teaching a course unit on civil liberties and technological literacy based around my novel Little Brother. He's launched a new Google Group for the kids in his class (and other classes around the world) to continue the discussion -- what an awesome idea!

At the end of the last class yesterday the idea came up to form a mailing list for young people who're interested in digital freedoms, computer security and so on, and one of the students suggested that we call the list "Watching Back". The list is watchingback@googlegroups.com and almost all the kids who took the course are on it.

It would be great if people running similar courses could get their students involved on the list, and that teachers and other people who know something about the subject hang around and help guide the discussion as mentors.

There's a lot to discuss. A running theme through the course was the importance of the power of young people to influence the world. I read from the Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace in the last class, because it is somewhat prophetic of what is going on:

"You are terrified of your own children, since they are natives in a world where you will always be immigrants. Because you fear them, you entrust your bureaucracies with the parental responsibilities you are too cowardly to confront yourselves."

Throughout the network young people are being empowered to change the world, they're figuring out the beauty of the hacker culture and the fight for freedom. In a world where big brother is watching with increasing scrutiny it is a big relief to know that at least the children are watching back.

Watching Back