Who's watching you?

One of my responsibilities at work last year was getting the teen board off and running since we were finally able to hire a young adult assistant to help me.  Once upon I had been the ya assistant, but somehow I've fallen into something more--so anyhow, we now have a growing teen board. 

They met for their monthly meeting the other day and I did a short drop in to see how it was going with the ya ass't. 
Fine.
Other than when I first sat down I felt like they thought they'd be caught doing something wrong, only because they were talking music.  I'm all about getting to know the teens, plus their interests--so anyhow, after I was filled in on what they felt they should tell me--we started talking about school (which came from getting more kids involved) and cheating.

Then came security camera's at the highschool.
In school hallways.
In class rooms.
One girl was convinced every camera worked, while the other said half were fakes just to scare them.

That's when it really hit me--these kids will have no idea how it feels not be in 'that' environment.
I couldn't have imagined camera's in school.
Let alone our little smalltown, semi-affluent school with not much crime, other than drinking and pot smoking teens.

We've somehow sold them and the teachers that this makes school more secure.
(Retailers sell baby-camera's (baby monitors), creating fear in parents..instilling the idea that these camera's will help the parents sleep better at night--here's my idea: a familybed.  Best security possible.)  Anyhow....
I am much more critical...I think camera's and all that entails only makes people more tricky and creative in their actions, if they're going to do something 'wrong.'

And then I wondered, what would I do if camera's suddenly showed up at work.
They're in street lights and cop cars...office buildings...and schools.

So--my apologies to these kids...for never getting to know true freedom--
but knowing it's all inside us and teaching kids/people to keep thinking for themselves.